Suze wrote: > >We lost so much more than human life on September 11th. . .The WTC, a symbol of all that we believe in, >American capitalism, brought down like a house of cards. Is it really too much to ask that we look out for each >other in an organized, concerted effort?
I know your heart is in the right place and my heart also wants to do all I can in my own little niche to help protect people. I don't mind the airport searches at all and it makes me glad they are doing their jobs. As for profiling, I've heard from a source with an airline that it is happening but is very hush hush behind the scenes (as it should be). As much as I want the US government to do everything in its power to be vigilant and efficient, however, I do think they have to step back a little and look at the long term effects of their decisions. I don't look at this TIPS idea on its surface as "spying" on everyone but rather perhaps a not well-thought through idea to centralize information regarding our national security. I am opposed to big government as you might have guessed and the national ID card also makes my hair go up. Here's the deal - we have already had federal agencies such as the FBI and CIA to report tips to for years. If they are not doing their jobs in properly processing information, then fix them. Adding yet another layer of government bureaucracy could be just as inefficient ultimately. What we put into law or procedure now can come back to haunt us at a later date down the road. Today we are vigilantly looking for terrorists in our midst, which we can all mostly agree with, but tomorrow or down the road what other group may be targeted for perhaps not altogether noble reasons? Denny wrote: > This "snitch patrol" is reminescent of so many episodes in 20th Cent. Am Hist: The two Red scares, The HUAC >hearings (of the "are you now or have you ever been a. . ." and are you willing to sell out a friend to save you skin); Funny you would think first if (an admittedly over-zealous) group of U.S. anti-communists as an example rather than the actual communist countries who had a demonically large bureaucracy of "snitches" in their society for decades to rat out dissendents who were then systematically "eliminated," i.e. executed, for not falling in line with the "system." I think the communist model is the one which we should all be frightened of ever emulating in any way. I think we all should be vigilant but not vigilantes to protect our people. Write your congressman, Ashcroft, etc. and let them know how you feel. Kakki
