While most of us enjoyed the Super Bowl alongside family, friends and queso, those in attendance did so in the company of SWAT teams, K-9 units, and snipers.
No, there wasn’t a royal wedding halftime ceremony; however, the federal government considers this football game a security event of that level.
In fact, the Department of Homeland Security labels the Super Bowl a level one national security event, a designation typically given to a presidential address or inauguration. But local and national leaders are exploiting this opportunity for political gain, as this level of security is quite unnecessary, and it shows the intimidating scope of the government’s authority.
This isn’t the first game to garner the attention of the DHS, and many argue that increased security is necessary for such occasions.
On Thursday, New York City police arrested 18 people for allegedly selling “party packs” consisting of prostitutes and cocaine. The dealers claimed to be taking advantage of Super Bowl week and were utilizing the increased traffic to boost sales and to advertise their product.
With tens of thousands of dollars being shuffled from client to seller and with many thousand people flocking to New York to experience America’s grandest sporting event, it’s no surprise that leaders called for more officers, more pat-downs and increased restrictions on what fans could bring into the stadium.
But the security well overcompensates any legitimate threat — which there weren’t any, and in no way should the Super Bowl be considered a level one national security event. The government again flexed its muscles and made entering the stadium more uncomfortable for the audience.
Seeing that almost every aspect of our lives is meticulously watched and regulated and that Louisianans have the highest chance of being incarcerated in America, we need to understand that more officers often generates more corruption than protection. As undergraduates struggle to afford tuition and textbooks, as businesses continue to pay the highest corporate tax rates in the world, the federal government continues to waste taxpayer funds on unneeded security measures.
The TSA, NSA and the entire DHS are lauded as necessary components of a safe society. But rather than creating a safer atmosphere for Americans, these bureaucracies have been a menace and at best, an inconvenience for travelers.
While strip searching retired citizens and patting down children, the TSA has failed to catch any legitimate threat to the airline industry.
Meanwhile, the NSA has created quite a controversy and opposition to it is quickly growing, thanks in part to the efforts of Edward Snowden. As individual privacy and liberty continues to diminish, our skies, stadiums and schools are no safer. Homicide rates have not decreased despite increased funding to federal administrations.
It’s almost funny to see the attention sporting events and celebrities garner, while innocent, non-violent citizens in our own backyard are being locked away and mistreated.
The selling of these “party packs” will continue long after the Lombardi trophy is handed out. There is no rationale that can justify the TSA digging through purses, patting down fans or forcing a young child to strip down and be searched.
Benjamin Franklin prophetically said “those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” Cocaine, prostitution and murder are not unique to the Super Bowl or to New York City — an increase in security won’t alleviate the problem either.
When you hear on the radio about the unprecedented safety ushered in by the DHS, remember that more of your fellow Southerners are behind bars than ever before; more than 90 percent of whom where arrested for non-violent crimes.
However, the government would prefer that you, along with the media, focus on Beyonce’s tweets rather than on the wasted funds and resources.