On Monday night, singer Ariana Grande went to the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, to perform a concert on her Dangerous Woman tour. Everything seemed to be going as planned until an explosion occurred in the arena after she finished the concert. While thousands of fans attempted to flee the venue, over 20 and counting have died so far, with the majority of them under 18. While Grande was not hurt, many children will not be coming home. It has not been determined whether the explosion was caused by a gun or a bomb, but it has clearly done much damage either way.
This is not the first time such a dangerous event has occurred a concert.
Last June, Christina Grimmie was shot after a performance in Orlando, Florida. She died in the hospital hours later and was mourned by fans around the world. Which begs the question: why haven’t security precautions been increased since then?
Anyone who’s been to a concert will know you are required to be searched before entering the venue. This means emptying pockets, letting bags be sifted through, and even having to throw away certain items, like large posters or water bottles. These searches are brief — too brief, in fact. All they seem to do is shine a flashlight in your bag, before allowing you in. At best, they may also briefly stick their hand inside too.
This isn’t enough. Even if it takes more time, a more thorough search of everyone attending should be mandatory. Smaller weapons or explosives, such as firecrackers, can be easily concealable and aren’t obvious from just a quick flash of light. If security can turn away someone unless they throw out their drink, they should be able to do the same for someone with a weapon.
I understand that there are fans who just want to get inside, and will get annoyed at the longer wait. But think about it: which would you rather have? A longer, thorough search through your bag, with everyone inside safe, or a brief look inside, with a possibility of another incident happening?
A very tragic event happened Monday night, and many children and teens were involved. I will be thinking about everyone involved, including the victims and their families. No one should ever have to feel unsafe or scared, especially at a place like their idols’ concert. I hope whatever happened will be explained soon.
