Passage Summary:
This article examines the rationale behind "Stop and Frisk," a controversial law enforcement tactic, and the impact of its decline.
When and How to Pair:
1984 and this article both consider the difficulty in finding a balance between protecting people’s freedom and keeping citizens safe. In 1984, the totalitarian government allows its citizens no freedom, which they supposedly do in their best interest. Before reading the novel, have students discuss whether or not the government should be able to violate citizens’ freedom if it is in their best interest. What dangers arise when citizens assume that all government actions are undertaken in their best interest? Who gets to decide what is in the citizens’ best interest? In Book One, have students pay attention to the government’s position on sex, food rationing, and thoughtcrime, and how the government’s position affects the lives of its citizens.