It makes me slightly uneasy and sad that this is done for big events, but I also understand why.
I think the knowledge just saps some of the frivolity from what is otherwise a fun, low-stakes outing.
I kinda hate to be this guy, but:
Know this does not exist in any other country
It is unnecessary in any other country
America has entirely constructed its own hell by simply not applying the same appropriate gun control you see in every other developed nation in the world
Edit: and I know you probably agree with me, but goddamn you’ve just collectively proven as a nation that over half your countrymen will bazooka their feet and the feet of everyone unfortunate enough to be near them, before even contemplating the idea of supporting someone who promises to make their lives better!
That’s not true,
As example, 2 years ago I was in Strasbourg for the winter markets and saw 2 things:
- Roving squads of military and police armed with submachine guns and even battle rifles. (Some in blue police uniforms, some in camo)
- I tried to get a photo from above everything and explored some stairwells. (I like urban exploration) I opened an upper floor office door and was startled by a room full of cops with binoculars and rifles leaning on the wall / resting on a table. They were not very happy with me and it took me about an hour of being a dumb tourist to disengage.
I saw similar on foot squads in Germany too.
An hour?? That’s crazy-- seems like their fault the room wasn’t secure, but they had to harass you for that long before letting you go?
This is blatantly false. I don’t like it, but it most certainly happens at other countries and not just a US phenomenon. I’ll paste some proof: https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/sports/brazil-police-sniper-nearly-shot-officer-during-world-cup-opening-1.1889183? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9692301/Greenpeace-apologise-Euro-2020-stunt-horror-left-two-injured.html https://sports.ndtv.com/euro-2020/snipers-were-ready-to-shoot-parachutist-at-euro-2020-match-minister-2465542/amp/1 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/feb/01/france-biggest-security-operation-six-nations-stade-italy
Also, this isn’t even how they do it. It was an ad for the tripod basically, and it wasn’t loaded. They use binoculars and not the rifle for scanning. https://deadspin.com/those-super-bowl-sniper-photos-are-real-5883525/
Hate to be that guy but also hate misinformation so had to chime in.
You said that hate misinformation, but in the first link it was a guy approaching the president, not a random game, also I always laugh when someone compare USA to Brasil and get mad when I answer that USA is a third world country
Every single big event all over the world has the potential to be a target for a terrorist attack.
Every time you leave your house you have a chance to be hit by a car. It’s many orders of magnitude more likely than to get killed by a terrorist attack. Yet everyone still drives cars.
The fear of terrorism has been used to curtail so many liberties. Always as a temporary measure. Draconian pre-flight security screenings? (seriously, not being allowed to bring water?): “temporary”. Expansion of the surveillance state and policing: “temporary”.
It’s time to start asking wether this is all worth it. The fetishization of “security above all” in modern political rhetoric is a bad thing, in my opinion.
