I think it worries me more that we've already grown so lazy and apathetic about this... ========================== Americans Mostly Shrug Off Terror Warning 42 minutes ago By SETH HETTENA, Associated Press Writer SAN DIEGO - Americans continued to check items off their holiday lists and mostly shrugged off new terror warnings as security tightened at the nation's airports, bridges and major facilities. "They're like earthquakes. You learn to deal with it," said 42-year-old Jeff Shaw, of Reno, Nev., at the San Francisco Shopping Mall. "If it's going to happen, it's going to happen." Airports and transit hubs across the nation, already crowded with the traditional holiday travel rush, began Sunday to ratchet up security measures in the wake of the raised alert from Washington, D.C. Governors across the country offered the same basic message: Although residents should be vigilant, there was no specific threat against their communities and they should stick to their holiday plans. "We encourage people to go about their lives. I hope this is yet another false alarm, but we have to be prepared," said Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. He returned to Boston from a family vacation in Utah to deal with the heightened alert, but planned to fly back Monday. The alert prompted heavier security at buildings ranging from nuclear plants to shopping malls. Checkpoints for trucks were heightened at bridges including the Golden Gate Bridge and spans into New York City. "Some Americans have been kind of lulled back into complacency," said Inspector Kriste Etue of the Michigan State Police's emergency management division. New York mobilized hundreds of extra police officers to patrol in and around locations considered susceptible to attack — places of worship, landmarks, tourist attractions, Wall Street, subway stations among them. At the U.S-Mexico border, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection said it would be conducting more thorough inspections of the 55,000 vehicles that cross from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Diego each day. Agents were paying close attention to pedestrians, documents and merchandise, and carefully examining trunks and cargo. Officials also increased security in the waters surrounding the Port of Los Angeles and began random inspections of ships entering the port, Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn said. At Macy's in downtown Los Angeles, 59-year-old Gilbert Carrasco wasn't troubled by the warning as he did some last-minute shopping for his brother and sister. "I feel very comfortable. I'm not thinking about that at all," Carrasco said. "The United States hasn't had a major terrorist attack on our soil since Sept. 11." The FBI (news - web sites)'s Joint Terrorist Task Force in Philadelphia set up a command post to check out tips, said FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi. Residents who hear or see something suspicious should call 911 if they think a threat is imminent or the FBI if it's something that can wait, she said. "People shouldn't determine in their own mind whether they think it's significant, they should let us take a look at it," Vizi said. Patrols were increased immediately at Florida's Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale, where some 50,000 passengers were on 15 cruise ships, port spokeswoman Ellen Kennedy said. Many airports resumed or were planning to resume random vehicle searches, including those for Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Travelers were advised to arrive at airports an hour earlier than usual to get through the additional security. At Boston's Logan Airport, where the two hijacked planes that hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, originated, officials added more state police at curbs, terminals and along perimeter roads Sunday, Logan spokesman Phil Orlandella said. Many people said they didn't see what they could do differently. "I'm scared because they proved two years ago that they can do evil things," said Curtiss Jacobs, who was meeting up with friends for lunch in San Francisco. "But the odds are that it won't happen where I'm standing. You just have to live your life." Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said that his officers will watch large events this week in Denver, including Christmas shows at the Denver Center of the Performing Arts and the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The alert came at a bad time for the nation's retailers, who are hoping for a strong end to what has been an uneven holiday shopping season. Now the fear is that shoppers will stay home. John Courtney, a Bostonian standing by the Christmas tree in New York's Rockefeller Center on Sunday, said the alert made him "maybe just a little more cautious." "You can't stop your life because of this. That gives them exactly what they would want," Courtney said. link
Ridge basically said "Nothing to see here, go about your business." This warning is for security personnel and to give travelers a heads up that security personnel are going to have an extra 10 inches added to the stick up their butt. Fair warning, expect the airport security guy to act like a bigger dick than usual. If you are not flying, carry on with your navel gazing status quo. That is all. Merry Christmas.
Wow. I hope you were just being funny here and don't really have this opinion of the people who keep our airplanes safe. I wonder how the families of those people on the planes of 9/11 would react to your statement.
I wonder how the families of those people on the planes of 9/11 would react to Bush&Co. stalling and preventing all investigations into 9/11.
Well, since they didn't really keep the planes safe... Either way, I've flown numerous times and the airport security has been nothing but extremely nice to me. It's all in how you act towards them. Give them a smile and a "how're you doing" instead of acting like the stereotypical annoyed traveller whose amazingly the only one being inconvenienced by the longer lines, and you'll find that you get treated better. As far as the warning, I admit that I haven't really given it any more thought than usual. Hell, I'm even flying next week and that didn't really cross my mind when I heard about the terror upgrade. However, I think shrugging off these warnings is how we should act. Instead of allowing every bit of information make us run, hide and act scared, we shouldn't let it get to us. I don't think this equates into apathy though. If someone sees something suspicious, they'll report it. What do we have to gain by being scared, other than to embolden those who want to destroy this country.
It is terrible to admit this, but I don't watch the news as much as I should. But what is the reason for the terror alert? Is it the anniversary of something significant in the past that we did that upset another country or is it because they want to attack us now because of it being Christmas or is it something else?
i think it is just a general " keep your eyes open cuz lots of people will be traveling in the next 2 weeks and it might create an opportunity for some crazy to do something"
Manny, I've heard it is because the 'chatter' is the highest it has been since pre-911. The terrorists are probably wanting to retaliate for the wonderful successes that we've had in the War on Terror (catching Saddam).
I caught a headline on The Drudge Report about a possible female suicide bomber in New York. I was too apathetic and lazy to click the article though.
On a side note, it seems like the degree of scrutiny applied is inversely proportional to the likelihood of a terrorist incident at the airport. Example, I once got what was bascially a full cavity search at the terminal entrance, and again at the gate, by the same two guys, in freaking Fort Wayne airport on a Friday evening even though I was the only guy on the plane. What was I going to do, destroy a grain silo? Whereas at Newark, JFK, O'Hare I usually skate through. Same problem in Dothan, ALabama, which really shouldn't even have an airport.
Yea, that makes the most sense to me although what flamingmoe says can also be a factor as well. As much as I love this country, it bothers me that we are hated as much as we are. Oh well, I know that my wishes of us having a neutral foreign policy will never happen, but it is nice to dream about it.
Oh Lord, here we go... Manny, I heard that some of the guantanamo detainee's have been talking about a plan to rival 9/11 that is now in the "operational phase". It is supposed to involve planes and/or fuel trucks in "heavily populated" areas. Of course this isn't the first time they have talked about something like this in the last 2 years and obviously nothing has happened. Personally, I think it's part of their 'strategery' to put disinformation out there and try to scare us, but obviously you can never be too careful. Who knows for sure?
For all we know, there have been plans thwarted by increased security or other factors. The effectiveness of our national security cannot be judged solely by successful terror attacks or even attacks thwarted once they were underway. Seems to me that a lot of people think that planned terror attacks only exist if they're actually successful. The truth is, we don't know if there have been failed attacks, or attacks that were called off because of increased security. You kind of have to believe that al Qaeda isn't even trying right now if you completely discount the success of the security measures that have been undertaken. As for the increased warning, your average, everyday person can't do anything but shrug off such terror warnings. There's absolutely nothing I can do, personally, to keep a terrorist attack from happening. The most I could do is just worry about it more, and that doesn't do any good.
I don't run around scared. In fact, I am sure some of the past "heightened alerts" were just B.S., keeping the public aware that the system, such as it is, exists, and that our anti-terrorist network, such as it is (sure am glad that giant tax cuts have affected big cuts in police and fire departments; hmn boy, I feel safe now) is actually working to protect us (since they took a nap on 9/11 but will never be taken to task over it). But if the terrorists want a target, we do have the Super Bowl coming up. Has anyone ever driven past the refineries and such? I hope they've upgraded security since I saw them last.
We got to be vigilant and this is an indicator throughout security forces nationwide to step it up...As an average joe-billyblow citizen, what should be expected is to verify your basic emergency supplies: water: 12 to 15 gallons,...check. food: canned @ a dozen,...check. air purifier: ...check Duct tape: 16 to 20 rolls, ...check. lottso plastic sheeting,...check. first aid kit,...check. emergency tools (i.e. flashlight, sleeping blanket, radio)...check. Bushmaster m4 carbine, or Beretta CX4 storm carbine, ready and cleaned...check 12 gauge pump...check A case of ammo for rifle, shotgun and pistol...check Real simple, in other words the above is stuff you should already have at hand, and just be ready to verify whether your stuff is ready to be implemented at a moment's notice... Also notice things in your community that seem unreasonable and notify authorities... Other than that, nothing else is necessary in heightened security alerts from civilians...but be ready!
We should probably treat terrorism like the people in California treat earthquakes. They know that there will be earthquakes. They also now that one day the "big one" is going to come and sink half of the state into the sea. Do they really worry about it? Of course not, they go about their business and live their lives. BTW, you are much more likely to be hurt or killed in an earthquake than in a terrorist attack.
