Quote:I don't understand. What do you think of metal detectors then? Are you automatically assumed to be a terroirist if you enter a building with a detector?
Red herring. Metal detectors are put in place to detect metal objects. Most commonly available weapons, including knives and guns, are made primarily of metal. Thus, a metal detector's main purpose is to detect weapons, thus ensuring our safety.
Checking our shopping bag to make sure we haven't stolen anything is not even in the same league as ensuring our safety, especially in a high-profile area such as a courthouse or an airport. If you're going to draw analogies to shoot holes in an argument, as least stay within reason. Otherwise, you're just confusing the issue.
I'm not arguing the point you're trying to make, even if I perchance don't agree with it. I'm arguing with what you're using to back up your argument. You can do much better, I'm sure.
Edit:
One question I have for you, which I keep forgetting to ask: what happens when ALL stores require these bag checks, as most of them already do? What recourse do we have? You keep touting "take your business elsewhere", and that's all well and good, but it doesn't work when everyone follows one another in practice. True, we do live in an electronic age where we can do virtually anything online, but should I be forced to do all my shopping online just to avoid the hassle of being searched every time I want to buy something? What if I was trying to compare products? What if I had questions? Am I to go to a brick 'n' mortar, gather all the information I need to make my purchasing decision, and then travel back home and purchase the item online instead, thereby wasting the store's time and money and ensuring that not only will their sales suffer, but their internal costs will be for naught? That, to me, is equally as ridiculous. What are your thoughts on that matter?
Roland *The Gunslinger*