Travelers who choose to get where they're going by air know what it's like to give up convenience in exchange for a higher degree of safety.
Yes, it's a pain. Everything can seem to be going swimmingly, then you round the corner to discover the line to airport security is 30 deep and moving excruciatingly slow. But it's hard to be terribly impatient -- not impossible, a few passengers demonstrate -- when the whole exercise is designed to make sure you and all the others aboard get to the next stop in one piece.
What’s the point?
The University of Arkansas’ installation of metal detectors at sports venues reflects an unfortunate necessity of the 21st century.
So now, Razorback fans, remember how a good defense makes for good offense?
Word from The Hill is fans will soon have to pass through metal detectors at each entrance at Bud Walton Arena, where the regular season for the basketball Hogs gets underway Tuesday night. The obvious reason is to make sure the only shooting going on is the kind involving a ball and a net.
That's certainly not to make light of the security concerns, which circumstance has demonstrated are serious. Violence across the country at schools, concerts and other events are reason enough to take a pre-emptive approach on the University of Arkansas campus.
Especially after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, being scanned has become a common occurrence virtually anywhere there's a large crowd or at government buildings. At the university, officials say fans will experience them first at Bud Walton, then at Baum-Walker Stadium for baseball games and later, but not this season, at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, site of a multitude of sporting and other events, got metal detectors earlier after a panic at a high school game where many thought they heard gunfire. And anyone going to professional sports or music venues have navigated the devices for some time. The UA's adoption is in response to Southeastern Conference requirements.
This has been coming for a while, as much a result of better and more affordable technology as the real or perceived threat of violence. The SEC's authorization for serving alcoholic beverages at many sporting events certainly adds a new wrinkle that makes ensuring a no-gun environment wise.
The best news in all of this is that UA officials say the kind of metal detectors they're buying will allow fans to keep items like cellphones, keys and wallets in their pockets or in their hands as they enter. That should cut down on delays considerably.
In a perfect world, we'd be able to forgo metal detectors. All in all, this isn't a bad development.
Hopefully, any delays will just be the result of an abundance of Razorback fans showing up to watch the games.
Commentary on 11/02/2019