KOSNITZKY'S KORNER: Security at Football Games: Lost Innocence

On that fateful day on September 11, 2001, not only did we lose thousands of lives, we changed as a society. Feelings of complacency at public outings were replaced with feelings of “with-it-ness.” I do admit that in more recent times I see others, including myself revert to those times where we may take our safety for granted and merely focus on enjoying a game. We often assume that most people will act reasonable, and that police, security and school administrators can remedy whatever problem arises at a local high school football game.

This is why I was greatly troubled when I learned about an alleged incident that occurred during a high school game in Naples. According to the article, players and coaches went into the stands to confront fans after the game. I don’t know if the coaches only left the bench to retrieve their players or take other action. Nonetheless, this should be a huge concern for all of us. Do we need to now have metal detectors at these games? Barbwire Fences? Do we need airport level security at high school football games?

I am not comparing this incident or any incident to what occurred on the worst day in American History. That was not the point of this article. However, as a society, I hope that we do all we can to ensure that the reported experience that occurred in Naples is an isolated incident so we do not find another example of lost innocence.

You can follow Adam Kosnitzky at @akosnitzky