Nothing Seems Sacred Anymore - Security Cameras Everywhere

When I was a young boy, I felt safe almost everywhere. Perhaps it was the delusions of a young man, or perhaps it was that I grew up in a different world. Many places felt very safe to me, but definitely at the top of that list was at church. That seemed to be a place where no evil would enter. A different world it certainly is now, whether my perception has changed, or if the world changed around me. Quite different as has been shown many times. But rather than link to the gruesome stories, instead I would like to link to Time article of the survivors entitled How Do You Forgive a Murder Still a very sad story, but a hopeful and heart-wrenching account of this tragic day in June last year.

I wish this was the only tragedy that I could mention in a church, but it's only the most recent. In fact, it has become such common place, that a national database of church shootings has been created as noted here. So with places that seem to many to be the safest places to be, invaded by such violence, where are we truly safe anymore? The answer to that question is unfortunately a bit more scary than the question. Violent crime is not the only problems or deviant behavior that occurs either.

This is one of the reasons that all sectors and areas of the country are stepping up security measures. Today, it is not unheard of for even churches to install card access systems to identify persons as they enter the facility, or hiring security guards to patrol entrances. It is really a sad state of affairs when this type of technology must be employed, and even doors being locked at these facilities is counter-productive to their open atmosphere for persons to enter, visit and pray. Each time I have to help secure a church, a little piece of me dies.

One day, I hope for this application of technology not to be needed anymore. Until that day, I will continue to strive to protect with unobtrusive technology as best I can for every church, synagogue, chapel or mosque. We all deserve peaceful, safe areas to worship in our own way. This is the basis of the freedoms that we all are supposed to be endowed with. Lets all begin to stop turning a blind eye, and begin to respect each other again and build a world where my job becomes obsolete.