Will Grigg?s Liberty Minute

August 28, 2012

The heavily armed, black-clad figures stalking bus and train stations in New Jersey weren?t deployed in response to a specific threat. Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo explained that the VIPR teams ? local police units supervised by agents from the Transportation Security Administration ? were part of an initiative called BUSSAFE, an outgrowth of RAILSAFE, which was launched a year ago.

The purpose of the program, according to Trucillo, was ?to increase uniform police visibility?. Just to step on a bus and have somebody visually look in the bus, and have the folks on the bus see a police presence, and to give a sense of security to folks who use the bus daily.?

That assessment assumes, of course, that people would find such a conspicuous police presence to be reassuring. One potent illustration that this isn?t the case was offered by the recent shooting at the Empire State Building in New York City, in which two people ? including the gunman ? were killed and eight others were wounded. All of the wounded victims were shot by panicking police, who sprayed their rounds indiscriminately at a target less than ten feet away.

Rational people will experience a variety of sensations when they?re surrounded by police. An enhanced sense of security won?t be on that list.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.