False Security

Guest post by Suzann Darnall

We keep being told we must give up freedom for security. But, as history has shown throughout the world, giving up freedom very seldom turns out to be secure. Compromised freedom always leads to compromised security. And, all too often the security we are “gaining” is false.

I saw a prime example of it this past Friday evening when attending a hockey game at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. This arena is home to the San Antonio Spurs, the San Antonio Rampage, as well as many other events.

Like so many venues and travel options, they have a complicated set of restrictions and security check-ins that are really a tad farcical when all is said and done. Plus, most of them are not known to patrons until it is too late to figure out alternatives.

I got hit with one last night that infuriated me. As I was going through the security line the guard decided my purse was too large and informed me I would either have to leave it in my car or drop it off at “Guest Services”. Oh heck no! I was not about to leave it with a group of strangers. And, I needed lots of my purse items to get through the evening in any kind of comfort.

You see, I have some health issues and require many of my items to get through events relatively pain-free, breathing adequately, and in some semblance of comfort. Needless to say, I was not able to keep everything I needed in my pockets and so the entire evening was a little more stressful than expected.

But, that isn’t even what made me sooo danged mad!!! No. It was that they were so willy-nilly about the enforcement of the “restriction”. Not only did some guards allow larger purses, bags, and backpacks in, the venue sold bags and backpacks in the gift shop that were larger than my purse! Now, I for one would be really angry if I bought a tote at the arena gift shop that I was then told I could not carry into the arena! As it was, I settled for buying a $10 paper gift bag to drop my items into, which at least made things a little simpler for me throughout the night’s event.

The other thing that infuriated me was the falsehood of security being offered by their invasion of privacy in checking bags, restricting items allowed in, and so on. They claim to not allow certain kinds of cameras, yet I saw those kinds in the arena. So, were these cameras smuggled in or were certain people given special access? I am not talking about media folks, I am talking about customers there with families, babies, etc. And, if special access is being given to some, why not to all? If it is that people are smuggling in restricted cameras, how do we know there are not also weapons being smuggled in? Just more examples of us being denied freedom, privacy, and convenience in the name of non-existent security.
Also, why are they worried about restricting cameras at all? With the new age of smart phones and photographic upgrades that can be added to the phones, people can take pictures and videos that are professional quality without using a camera or video camera! Kinda silly to worry about the conventional cameras . . . especially since it is now more conventional to use a smart phone camera anyway. Heck, most news shows now rely so much on people sharing their smart phone pics and videos to round out their coverage of events. Law enforcement also makes use of phone pics and videos from private citizens.

If the security people are already going to look through the bags, why does it matter what size or if they are see-thru? If the bag is being properly vetted, it should be allowed in. Even the see-thru bags are not 100% secure. I have never seem them open the makeup bags, wallets, or other containers inside a see-thru bag to see what is inside. Guns and knives do come in sizes that are small enough to fit inside a wallet or makeup bag! Since most bags are not put through metal detectors and many venues do not have x-ray capability, there is no reality of security in the idea of see-thru or smaller bags.

I, for one, would feel more secure at a venue that allowed American citizens to carry weapons. We have seen time and time again that so often an armed citizenry can defend itself better against criminals and terrorists than waiting for law enforcement or security to come to the rescue.

Sayonara,
Suzann
http://www.suziezoo.com
http://www.woolymammoth.org