This morning's thoughts were about issues surrounding terrorism and firearm-free zones. One terrorism-related matter is the question of strangers in our midst. There are those who promote xenophobia; fear of strangers, as the answer to terrorism. But some terrorists (especially the xenophobia-promoting terrorists) are well known to their community or victims. Some terrorists have long suffered abuse and seek revenge; others may even be seen as heroes doing battle against those outside their faith.
The social vibrancy of cities is in no small part due to the number of people seeking to escape social traditions and try something different. Of course, traditionalists point to this as the root of moral decay, but this breaking from tradition may also contain the seeds of social progress (which fundamentalists may loathe). Cities are essentially places where strangers converge for commerce or myriad other reasons. Those from smaller, traditional places embrace the commerce, sporting, and some of the artistic exchanges, but are uneasy surrounded by strangers, those of different ethnicities, and those from different moral paradigms or religions.
Few in the United States question why Congress, Court Houses, and sports stadiums need to be firearm-free. Such are places where the heat of rhetoric or competition must be settled without the intervention of fatal force, and civilization relies upon acceptance of the outcome. Though there is a problem with post-sporting event riots, the advocates for one team rarely scour the town killing advocates for the opposition. The ground rule of no weapons in Congress, Court Houses, and sports stadiums is rarely questioned, and reliance upon armed security guards to enforce the measure is accepted without heated debate.
Beyond this core of civic temples, the possession of firearms and right to kill one another becomes a heated debate. The thought that I had - what if a neighborhood wanted to make itself a firearm-free zone, and even extend this policy to those charged with security? One notion is that the zone would have to be car-free as well, since drive-by shooting would be an easy way around the rule. If a zone were to be serious, it might also require airport / courthouse / stadium level inspection of those entering and leaving the zone; suitcases x-rayed; metal detectors? Unless the zone contained a hospital, it seems this would be difficult to enforce 24/7 unless entry points were limited and the zone large enough to fund a 24/7 checkpoint. But like Congress, court houses, and stadiums, it might be worth making some larger zones firearm free. Everyone has seen the science fiction images of cities under giant domes - this would not be to that level, but it's an interesting thought. Related clickbait: Top 10 Car-Free Places in the World
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