Show Us Your Weapons!

THE NYPD announced that it is testing and considering using an electronic device which can detect the presence of a concealed gun beaneath clothing in passersby. Presumably its a sort of X ray device; the machine can detect a greenish energy field of heat sourrounding every human body, and the shape of the gun is clearly seen within.

Questions about the machine have to do with how much one will cost, how many would be needed and at what cost, and how and where to deploy them, and what to do with information obtained therefrom. we can trust that these issues will be resloved in due time.

If the police in new york city are aware of and experimenting with such a device, we may safely assume that many many other police and military entities are doing likewise, and that we will be hearing a lot more about it in the near future.

Another set of questions arises concerning legality. Would the court system, will the court system, establish for certain whether such technology in the hands of police is constitutional? it will have to, vis a vis  the police. for military purposes, of course, no such legal standing is necessary,

it would merely be another high tech military weapon, entirely outside the jurisdiction of the court system - but it is necessary to determine the legality of X ray machines for police work, and it appears that no precedents exist on the matter.

Of equal interest is the fact that in an internet survey, fifty four percent of respondents indicated they favor the police having swuch a system, becaus it will make the streets safer, which we must do, so say said survey respondents, at all costs. 

does a majority of america, indlucing conceal and carry folks really want to be X rayed by police at random as if they were boarding an airplane? Surely not! he who trades liberty for security deserves neither, isn't that the way it goes?

of course, in this case, it would not exactly  be "liberty" being traded for security, but rather privacy. And, considering that conservative original intent mongers dominate the supreme court, and that the constitution has no literal right to privacy, but only an interpreted one, it could be that X ray wielding cops are in our public place future.