Author Topic: Airsofter arrested in NYC, CBS drums up fear  (Read 3728 times)

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Offline chitoryu12

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Re: Airsofter arrested in NYC, CBS drums up fear
« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2013, 12:08:22 pm »
Several of the guys in my dorm have airsoft and paintball gear, and nobody freaks out about it. I don't know what causes some people to be more stupid and panicky than others when they see something that remotely resembles a firearm, but I kinda gather (after my trips to the east coast) that the west coast is just more laid back. NYC-dwellers can be pretty jumpy.

NYC is a notoriously popular target for anyone who wants to commit an especially memorable terrorist act, and also went through a long period of massive crime until the 90s. The city's extremely safe and even the "bad areas" probably have less crime than wherever you live unless you're out on a farm (I believe the city itself has or had the same crime rate, adjusted for population, as Boise), but sometimes you get a distinct feeling of what could charitably be called "caution." It's not at all uncommon to see police officers with AR-15s or National Guard troops in full multicam and armor with a pistol on their hip acting in the role of a standard police presence in sensitive areas like the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Penn Station. It's to the point where they get treated as little different from usual beat cops or security guards, including asking them for directions.

I think what offends me most about the CBS article is its timing. It's not unusual for news stations to try and scare people with sensational and factually incorrect stories for better ratings, but this is coming on the heels of another terrorist attack in the United States and at least one more shooting. I wouldn't be surprised if they were intentionally taking advantage of a vulnerable time in 2013, where everyone is scared and reacting emotionally. All they're doing is making everyone more scared and making any problems caused by fear even worse.
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