Security is based on Fear!

[Swineherder]

I grew up in a time when my mother did not fear me going out in the neighborhood. Where she trusted the community to intervene should I as a child do something stupid or dangerous to myself and others. She lived in an era of trust and that trust was her security.

When I had my children and lived in a large city, the age of trust was gone. My wife and I had to look after our children 24/7 and we could not trust our community. Or at least we bought into the idea that we could not trust our community.

Now, I live in a small village a long way from everywhere. There is no vandalism. There is no crime to speak of. There are three RCMP officers who are responsible for this area of several hundred square miles and a few tiny communities. There biggest job seems to be traffic control and health emergencies.

I can go and talk to them as human beings, have a coffee with them in the local cafe and do not fear that they will use their authority in ways that would be harmful to me. I also trust they will give me a ticket if I speed or throw me in jail if threaten another but I don’t fear them, I just respect the job they have to do.

Security is based on fear. Security is achieved through trust. Large cities, large police forces, large government all work to reduce trust and instill the fear of harm and from that fear they generate a need for their growth. It’s a ridiculous model.

To have true security, you need an open community that talks to each other respectfully. It needs individuals who solve disagreements through conversation and respect rather than threats or implied violence. You need police who themselves allow themselves to be vulnerable while still having the courage to do the job they volunteered to do. When I look at the daily news and see the police armored like medieval knights, I see a police force ruled by fear not courage.

This does not create security. This creates fear and distrust. What a way to live.

[Author]

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