NYC Straphangers get Searched by Police
My routine in the morning is standard. Get up, shower, put gym clothes in bag, pick up my home delivery of The Post and leave for the Subway. The headlines don't always catch my interest. Today's (7/22/05) did. "Halt" it read in big red letters, "Cops Ordered to search subway bags." After the second bombing in London, it seems NYC finally got a clue. I realize that there has been an increase in police officers in the subways and train stations but I didn't see a huge difference. I take the 6 to the Shuttle to the 1/9 everyday, so that means I'm going through Grand Central and Times Square. I would have thought that these two places would see the most cops, but that isn't the case. And neither was it today. I saw maybe 5 cops on my way to work and none of them were checking bags. So, I get on the subway and start reading the articles on bag searches. People "bellyaching" but submitting to searches, people complaining that there might be racial profiling, and Gene Russianoff, who is a lawyer for Straphangers Campaign (http://www.straphangers.org/) was quoted saying, "Riders being randomly searched is what they do in Communist regimes." Now that one struck me. "Communist Regimes!" I think this is a little extreme and very dramatic. There is a huge difference between protecting citizens by taking action to stop terrorists from blowing up our MassTransit system, and implementing communist, bully tactics on citizens. Subway riders are free to turn around and walk out without having their bag checked. In a communist run country, that person would not have that right. We in the United States of America tend to forget how good we have it. So in my opinion, a small delay in getting to work is better than another terrorist attack anyday.In another article, regarding the second London bombings, PM Blair said, "The people who are responsible for terrorist attacks are the terrorists." It's sad that this even has to be said. That people in England, and the US as well, could lay blame elsewhere. That excuses are made for the terrorists. If we weren't in the Iraq war we wouldn't be targeted. Well remember this, we weren't at war when the terrorists struck on 9/11. Remember that they started this. How could a person possibly excuse a group who's sole purpose is to destroy the lives of everyone who doesn't adhear to their creed. They don't make excuses for themselves, they are proud of their actions. They would kill a person who makes excuses for them just as easily as they would kill someone trying to defeat them. These sympathizers help the terrorists' cause. We need to remember that we live in the greatest country in the world. We need to remember that freedom of speech, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happinees, was threatened on 9/11 and we need to do everything in our power to protect it.
posted by Snowbird @ 11:56 AM
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