Fox News host Sean Hannity advocated for turning America into a police state on Monday night as a right-wing alternative to gun control to stop mass shootings, a full embrace of fascism under President Donald Trump.
In democracies around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and most European countries, gun control measures work to prevent mass shootings, which are incredibly rare.
These laws have been successful, but rather than adopt a solution that actually works, Hannity is prepared to sacrifice democracy instead by calling for the institution of a massive police state.
During his show on Monday, Hannity proposed surrounding schools and malls with armed guards and putting police in every hallway. Basically, you would see a cop no matter where you look.
“I’d like to see the perimeter of every school in America surrounded, secured by retired police … military and I want guys to donate fifteen hours,” Hannity said. “I think we could cover every school, every hour — add a metal detector and I think we’re going to have better schools. Have one armed guard on every floor of every school, all over every mall, the perimeter and inside every hall of every mall.”
Here’s the video via Twitter:
Presidential adviser Sean Hannity: “I’d like to see the perimeter of every school in America surrounded, secured by retired police … have one armed guard on every floor of every school, all over every mall, the perimeter and inside every hall of every mall.” pic.twitter.com/Renh47IiBY
— Brendan Karet ? (@bad_takes) August 6, 2019
Hannity is advocating for what is a right-wing wet dream. A police state, especially one that is pervasive within our schools, would only perpetuate that school to prison pipeline that sees minority kids being locked up for even the silliest things. Schools would no longer be schools, but prisons where students are mere inmates. This is not a way to to make schools safe, it’s a way for conservatives to terrorize people of color and force kids to get used to authoritarianism, a hallmark of which is a police state.
Conservatives like Hannity are so desperate to avoid solutions that actually work that they are willing to surrender freedom and democracy. This is the ultimate slippery slope, and Americans should be very concerned. Because it wasn’t that long ago that Republicans claimed to support limited government. Now they want a police officer in every classroom, mall and–eventually– bedroom across the nation. It will be so much easier for them to control what we say, think and do.
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