We live in scary times…

I’m all for tightening security efforts in the interest of protecting public places from terrorism. What I am not in favor of is the complete absense of common sense in doing so.

I saw this story this morning on Boing Boing, and I was taken aback. It’s such a repugnant abuse of authority, particularly in that they told the photographer that he was breaking the law. When asked to cite the law, they couldn’t, and instead concdeded that the BART could refuse service to him even without a reason.

Read the story over at Boing Boing, then follow the link at the bottom to the story as written by the photographer for his own site.

Then take a look at the style of pictures he was taking and tell me that people aren’t playing on fear.

As I said, I understand the need for tighter security, but let’s temper that with common sense so that we can still be a free country.

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  • Bob

    Even with the tragic 9/11 attacks three years ago, the statistical average number of people killed by terrorist attacks on American soil is probably under 100 people/year. In a country with 285,000,000 people, this equates to a 0.000035% chance of me being killed by a terrorist attack in any given year. I like those odds!!!

    I hope that Americans realize that whenever we give up a piece of our freedom for security, we will never get that freedom back. How often do entrenched governments willingly return fear-traded freedom?

    Finally, the fact is that America is only worthy of her Marine’s blood so long as she is free. Give that freedom up in the name of ‘safety from terrorism’, and our great nation won’t be worth fighting for.

    Even if 1,000 Americans (or more) died from terrorism each year I would still be happy to take my chances with the goddamn terrorists – such a risk is a small price to pay to be a citizen of the greatest nation on Earth.

    Unless/Until we have daily suicide attacks in Chicago and other major cities, I say we all tell the terrorists to kiss our white (or brown, or black) American behinds and go about our business, in full knowledge of the risks but with a rebellious zeal that Osama bin Laden just can’t destroy.

    -Bob

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com Vinny

    I hope that Americans realize that whenever we give up a piece of our freedom for security, we will never get that freedom back. How often do entrenched governments willingly return fear-traded freedom?

    I think you can increase security without decreasing freedom, and the idea that taking pictures in a subway is some kind of scary terrorist threat is amusing at best.

    In New York City, at every single bridge and tunnel, there are signs that say “No Cameras, Strictly Enforced.”

    Since when did taking pictures of landmarks become a security threat? Invoking 9/11 and terrorism does not make a perceived threat true.

  • Bob

    A good, often overlooked point (by me, anyway). There are ways of increasing safety without decreasing freedom – let’s invest our time and efforts in pursuit of such measures.

  • balbulican

    “Since when did taking pictures of landmarks become a security threat? Invoking 9/11 and terrorism does not make a perceived threat true.”

    This is what I’ve been saying for the last three years about the “climate of fear”. Increase security and public safety? Yes, absolutely. Increase it to the point of paranoia and this kind of public bullying? Nope. Going too far.

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com Vinny

    Well, there’s legitimate cause for alarm / concern.

    It’s the methods of addressing it that are, at best, illegitimate.

  • http://seek-truth.com/ Chet

    You mean that town hasn’t seceded the Union yet? Why doesn’t the city this took place in surprise me? :roll:

  • http://www.robertkbrown.com/ RKB

    Don’t know if you ever saw this last year, Vinny. Similar story about a guy taking pictures of the Ballard Locks (near Seattle).

  • Bob

    Even with the tragic 9/11 attacks three years ago, the statistical average number of people killed by terrorist attacks on American soil is probably under 100 people/year. In a country with 285,000,000 people, this equates to a 0.000035% chance of me being killed by a terrorist attack in any given year. I like those odds!!!

    I hope that Americans realize that whenever we give up a piece of our freedom for security, we will never get that freedom back. How often do entrenched governments willingly return fear-traded freedom?

    Finally, the fact is that America is only worthy of her Marine’s blood so long as she is free. Give that freedom up in the name of ‘safety from terrorism’, and our great nation won’t be worth fighting for.

    Even if 1,000 Americans (or more) died from terrorism each year I would still be happy to take my chances with the goddamn terrorists – such a risk is a small price to pay to be a citizen of the greatest nation on Earth.

    Unless/Until we have daily suicide attacks in Chicago and other major cities, I say we all tell the terrorists to kiss our white (or brown, or black) American behinds and go about our business, in full knowledge of the risks but with a rebellious zeal that Osama bin Laden just can’t destroy.

    -Bob

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/ Vinny

    I hope that Americans realize that whenever we give up a piece of our freedom for security, we will never get that freedom back. How often do entrenched governments willingly return fear-traded freedom?

    I think you can increase security without decreasing freedom, and the idea that taking pictures in a subway is some kind of scary terrorist threat is amusing at best.

    In New York City, at every single bridge and tunnel, there are signs that say “No Cameras, Strictly Enforced.”

    Since when did taking pictures of landmarks become a security threat? Invoking 9/11 and terrorism does not make a perceived threat true.

  • Bob

    A good, often overlooked point (by me, anyway). There are ways of increasing safety without decreasing freedom – let’s invest our time and efforts in pursuit of such measures.

  • balbulican

    “Since when did taking pictures of landmarks become a security threat? Invoking 9/11 and terrorism does not make a perceived threat true.”

    This is what I’ve been saying for the last three years about the “climate of fear”. Increase security and public safety? Yes, absolutely. Increase it to the point of paranoia and this kind of public bullying? Nope. Going too far.

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/ Vinny

    Well, there’s legitimate cause for alarm / concern.

    It’s the methods of addressing it that are, at best, illegitimate.

  • http://seek-truth.com/ Chet

    You mean that town hasn’t seceded the Union yet? Why doesn’t the city this took place in surprise me? :roll:

  • http://www.robertkbrown.com/ RKB

    Don’t know if you ever saw this last year, Vinny. Similar story about a guy taking pictures of the Ballard Locks (near Seattle).