“Daddy I’m scared…”
“Don’t worry son, I’ll protect you from all the bad people.”
“Are there lots of bad people Dad?”
“Oh yes there’s lots and lots of them and they’re everywhere but most of them are from outside the United States of America. But I’ll watch over you, don’t worry.”
“But Daddy, can you protect me from all of them, every bad person in the world?”
“That’s a big job son but I think with enough cameras and guns and guards and forms and scanners and xray machines and searches and renditions and no-fly lists and procedures and tighter passports and suspicion and xenophobia and wire taps and alarms and protocols and fear, I think we can make sure you have nothing to worry about. We can manage all the risks.”
“Is that the same thing as stopping all the bad guys Dad?”
“Well managing risk is tough because the world is an unpredictable place my boy. But if we push harder and harder, if we have more and more control, if we watch more and more people and put lots and lots of them under suspicion or behind bars, I know that we can manage the risk away. I know we can make sure none of the bad guys can ever get us again. If we make it really hard for the bad guys to even get into our country, they’ll go away.”
“But Daddy, I’m still worried. Even with all those guards and machines and watching isn’t there still a chance the bad guys can get me?”
“My boy… I’ll look after you. Some very smart people are taking control over all kinds of things and when we manage everything unpredictable everyone will be safe. Then our worries can stop and no one will have to be scared anymore… unless you’re a bad guy.”
“Thanks Dad.”
