This past week, Q-line asked: Are you in favor of beefing up security in Santa Monica? If so, how should it be funded?” The question was asked in response to a possible probe of the Santa Monica Pier by suspected terrorists.
Here are your responses: ✆ “I am in favor of beefing up security in Santa Monica, but how it should be funded is President Bush — well we have to say ‘President’, he’s not a President for me — should fund all this because he’s scaring the public and really scaring them. Also, the idea that I read in the paper was that we should take the two daughters of President Bush and put them in uniform and send them over to Iraq and that way two soldiers can be relieved and come home. There’s no reason that President Bush’s children should not be going into battle. He didn’t want to do it when he was younger because he was afraid and now he’s afraid to send his children, but he’s not afraid to send other people’s children.” ✆ “The citizens of Santa Monica have been pleading for increased security throughout Santa Monica for a long time, which, of course, has fallen on the deaf ears of the police and city administration. The plague of vagrants, bums and criminals in this city increases daily with no sign of abiding. Now we have the additional threat of terrorists. If they would stop the profiteering of the homeless programs and the enabling of this constant flow of free-loaders, lots of money would be freed up for the citizens’ protection.” ✆ “Those who are intent on the destruction of people and property will always circumvent the police and security. Very rarely do the police or security inhibit a crime from being committed. The police work constitutionally after a crime has been committed. The best security is the security that the individual provides for themselves and understand that only fools rush in to high-risk areas where others fear to tread. The best security is when the media warns us of possible strike areas. Still, there are those among us who do not listen to the radio, television and do not read the newspaper. They are too busy talking on their cell phones. Those individuals are the terrorists’ lawful prey.” ✆ “Right after the Oklahoma City bombing, the police arrested a couple of bearded Arabs only to release them when they discovered a clean-cut, ex- Marine was the murderer. After 9/11, the press and cartoonists had a great time depicting the terrorists looking like Osama bin Laden. But when the photos of the 19 terrorists were released, they looked and dressed more like President Bush and Dick Cheney. Why would three Arab-looking men, whatever that means, be so obvious walking around with an obsolete video camera when everyone and their grandma has a video cell phone? There may be terrorists checking out the pier, however my guess is that the millions spent on surveillance will just have police gawking at bikini girls and chasing some bearded homeless guy while the real terrorists walk by completely unnoticed because they will look like everyone else.” ✆ “Whoever saw those Arabs video-taping the pier should have reported it then and there instead of weeks later. A lot of good it does now. They should beef up security, although the Arabs are less of a threat than all the homeless we have in this town. They are a bigger problem than the terrorists. Frankly, there’s not much in Santa Monica worth blowing up. Though some things should be like the City Council, we don’t need them, though I doubt the Arabs would waste their time on those fools.” ✆ “When’s the last time anyone went to the library? “Brave New World,” “1984,” — Huxley and Orwell hit it right on the head. This new crisis is always a crisis that will involve cameras watching our every move. Who watches the police watching us? Government always induces some new fear to partially strip away another freedom, slowly over years of panic-induced crisis. Say your own (SMDP columnist) Bill Bauer was photographed somewhere that might be embarrassing to him and his family. City leaders could use that information to stop his attacks on City Hall incompetence. How do you think J. Edgar Hoover stayed in power so long? He had information on everyone. Do you notice nowadays what government does? Free child care, free lunch, free-or low-cost housing, rent control, food for homeless, security against criminals — you are not allowed to protect yourself. The police will protect you. Do you trust your leaders? Greed, ego, corruption, control are powerful motivators. Thomas Jefferson said the price of freedom is constant vigilance. The greatest evil that confronts this country comes not from outside, but from within.” ✆ “I think Santa Monica could use a little bit more security, however, I don’t think video cameras or surveillance cameras are the answer. Surveillance cameras are not going to save anyone who is in trouble. It’s not going to save someone from getting mugged. It’s not going to save anyone from getting hit by a car. As far as the pier is concerned, there’s a police station on the pier. We can’t do much more than that. It’s their job to monitor the pier. I have not seen any photos of these suspicious characters who are videotaping the pier. I’m not even sure they exist. So this whole wave in America, installing surveillance cameras for security reasons, could be just for surveillance of the citizens which may have negative aspects for freedom of speech and that movement. Anyways, thanks for the opportunity to speak. I think we need more lights in Santa Monica, streetlights that work, that brighten the streets. That would be better security than cameras.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 20, 2005. Read the original PDF.