— Special Update —
Today was the Boston Marathon. In an eerie show of force, some 4,000 law enforcement officers and military personnel patrolled the area. According to Kurt Schwartz, Massachusetts’s Undersecretary for Homeland Security, they were there “watching the public, watching the crowds, trying to detect suspicious behavior.” All in the name of safety.
Thousands of steel barriers were assembled in order to control the flow of spectators. They were funneled through a few dozen checkpoints and subjected to warrantless searches. Prohibitions almost seemed random: water bottles larger than a liter, baby strollers, opaque bags, flags deemed too large, costumes, and, of course, any means of self-defense.
Scariest of all? “We know of no specific credible threats to this event, but we remain vigilant,” said U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. If this is the response to no threat, I shudder to think of what to expect in cases of alleged threats.
there’s already a lot of security, there is no need for weapons on you or anything. This is a large event, these restrictions outside of the costume restriction, are pretty much necessary.
I went to the World Cup and many of the restrictions we see here were enforced there. Except they had military police instead of police. And you know what? We were all safe, we all still had fun, and none of us felt like our rights were being taken away.
You need to chill out.
The proximity and adequacy of security is a qualitative assessment only individuals can make. Simply because a person might have a weapon or any other tool does not mean that violence will erupt. However, should violence happen to occur, an individual with a defensive tool of some fashion will secure himself more safety than would otherwise be provided.
Simply because you choose not to exercise your rights does not mean that they are not being intruded upon.