NYC has stepped up security at spots in the city - including the subway (the picture above was taken at the Grand Central subway station). This is a response to the recent suicide bombings in Moscow.
I realize this is necessary, but seeing armed guys with machine guns makes me feel uneasy - not safe. I absolutely HATE guns, and seeing this makes me feel like I'm living in a war zone. Which, I guess, I am.
Let me ask you ... would armed soldiers in your city/town make you feel safer from the threat of terrorism?
7 comments:
If we had armed guards anywhere in Smallville, it'd proably be a toothless Civil War veteran with a broken-down musket, so, No, I woudn't feel safe.
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We had this response in London on the Underground after 9/11 and our own bombings in '05, and even before that at airports. It makes me feel better at the airport as it doesn't seem so out of place there, whereas on the Tube it felt a bit strange and you rarely see it anymore. In effect it is a reassurance, without actually being a deterrent. You also have to consider that in the UK Police don't carry firearms as a matter of course - although there are special firearms officers who can be deployed if an incident requires it. So ultimately seeing Police with automatic weapons is quite shocking to many people over here.
I am not sure why the MTA or NYPD thought it important to raise the security level on the Subway in response to Moscow. The bombings there were a backlash against domestic issues of the Russian state, not an international terrorist gesture, so how the security threat translates to any other country except Russia is a bit unclear?!
Also, remember that if a terrorist wants to blow up a train with a bomb hidden in a bag, they are going to do it. They ain't walking up to a machine gun toting Police officer and announcing their intention ahead of time, so what use does the armed officer serve?
Maybe your stepped up exercise program of walking is a gooooood idea!
It would be really weird to see armed guards out here. They do have them at The Engineer's nuclear plant.
I live near Fort Hood - the largest military installation in the free world. There are tons of soldiers here. Everywhere. I should also mention the high # of liquor stores, car lots, pawn shops, Wal Marts, and tattoo parlors. And baby mamas. And a very high crime rate.
Most of these kids in uniform here are under 25, married, breeding, and not Harvard material so to say. So if they were armed, and patrolling the area,no, it would not make me feel safe.
Living in Dc during/after 911 we saw the military everywhere. I just took it in stride. I would ofter take Amtrak to NY to visit my family and going through Penn Station and seeing guards with police dogs was a site.
I really don't think all this extra "visible" security would help or stop a situation. I'd rather have them rested and able to respond should a situation occur.
This reminds me of when I visited my friend in Arlington when she was in law school (why I moved to DC) and saw 5 fighter jets fly over head. I freaked for a second before remembering where I was and that this was normal.
It was also normal for me to cut through the parking lot of the military headquarters of the world (the Pentagon) to avoid rush hour traffic - we're talking 50 feet from the side of the building. AND you can still do it today!
I think what would make me nervous isn't there presence or the gun, but if an attack did happen, I would be more worried about bullets bouncing around the surroundings down there with all the metal.
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