Today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the Pittsburgh Steelers decision to
frisk search all of the fans attending their games this year.
The saddest part of the article is the sense of resignation expressed by the fans. One fan says "It's just a way of life now," It doesn't have to be, and in this case, it shouldn't be.
Although they will cite "homeland security" until they are blue in the face, my guess is that the policy is more about capitalism than security.
The article mentions a gentleman who was refused admittance because he had a telephoto lens for his camera. I think the owners are more concerned with the threat the lens presents to the exclusive media rights of the mighty NFL than they are about any threat to the physical security of the fans. The same applies to the poor soul who is caught trying to sneak in a sandwich, an action which represent a threat to mighty food service vendor Aramark.
These are the types of items that this policy is going to find. If any weapons of terrorism or violence are found during such procedures, it will be incidental to the primary goal of the policy, enforcement of the rules that have helped make the NFL into the economic powerhouse it is today.
In principle I don't object to the league's desire to protect its own economic interests and those of its partners. What I do object to is increasing intrusion of corporate power into my private life under the guise of "homeland security".
This is, admittedly, a rather trivial example of corporations flexing their muscle under the guise of the need to protect the homeland , but unless we start paying attention now, there is no telling where it will end.