Some of the people around Cruz were alarmed by signs that he might do something violent, and they called in tips to the agency, which did not investigate. Let’s examine one of the implications of this trend a little more in-depth: law enforcement investigations of “suspicious” individuals.” After the Parkland attacks, there was a discussion about the FBI’s failure to detect shooter Nikolas Cruz ahead of time. But it is also undoubtedly the case that the widespread availability of guns makes police much jumpier than they otherwise would be and quicker to shoot. There are a lot of problems behind our nation’s tragically high rate of unnecessary police shootings, including racism, poor training, and the militarization of our police. Security experts know that if you harden some targets, attackers just go for the softer ones. More armed police and guards at more and more civilian gatherings, potentially down to every Little League game and church picnic - authorities whose very presence will change the character of American life, and who are also likely to assert their power in numerous ways, make everything into a law enforcement issue, and generally bring the government into a lot of situations in American life where the government has not traditionally meddled.A growth in databases, watch lists, investigations, and background checks that set the government rummaging around in our personal lives.The pressure to install such systems, inside our schools and out, will only increase if mass shootings continue to happen regularly. We have seen at least two school districts in the United States - in Arkansas and the state of New York - vote to adopt comprehensive surveillance systems that include blanket video surveillance, tracking, face recognition, and the ability of law enforcement to tap into the system. This decision by the school cost students the fundamental personal privacy of being able to carry books, medicines, and other intimate items without exposing them to public view. Call it the “airportization of American life.” To pick one telling example: After the Parkland shooting, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were barred from carrying backpacks, except those that are clear and permit the contents inside to be seen.
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