The condo building in I live in started installing security cameras today. After six years without a single violent crime, and after years of debate on the matter, those in favor of digitally video recording everyone as they enter into and leave from the building we call our home finally won the battle.

Even though there is no evidence that video cameras do anything to deter crime, and there are studies that show them not to be cost effective, none of these facts matter when people making important decisions do so based on fear.

Fear of crime, fear of getting sued (a building our size is expected to have cameras, we could get sued if something happened!) and a fear of looking weak.

The problem with making decisions based on fear of course is that most of the time they're not rational. We spend time, money, mental energy, and resources on things that create the illusion of security, when instead we could be building communities.\r\n\r\nThe thing is, as it is with security cameras, so too it is with drones, wars, and patriot acts.\r\n\r\nMy condo building is just a microcosm of fear.