one man’s everyday, normal person is another man’s terrorist

Heard this on the radio:

“How do you tell the difference between someone just videoing a crowded place and someone checking it out for a terrorist attack? What’s the difference between someone just hanging around and someone behaving suspiciously? How do you know if someone’s buying unusual quantities of stuff for a good reason or planning to make a bomb? How can you tell if they’re a normal everyday person or a terrorist? The answer is: you don’t.”

“You don’t have to be sure; if you suspect it, report it.” To a dedicated team of Metropolitan Police workers with the best of intentions and a real problem to fight, alright I’ll buy that, just about, but encouraging a  culture of fear, distrust and surveillance of the people around you?

I’m not sure. I know I’m unsettled by the advert… but it does raise a good point: How can you tell if someone is a normal everyday person?

I hope I’m not.

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