ABC News just gave a five minute rundown of what "ordinary citizens" can do to stop terrorist attacks. The gist of it is, be on the lookout for:
Strangers in heavy clothing on a warm day.
People taking pictures at football games(???) because they might be taking pictures of security.
People talking to maintenance personnel at games or in malls, etc.
People asking about fire drills and bomb drills.
Full trash cans; maybe holding a bomb (I kid you not!).
All right, already. Those al qaeda guys must be surprised and thrilled that, ten years after the fact, they're still terrorizing the American population.
We need to chill. Let the professionals do what they're hired to do and protect us.
And then we all need to remember that the next moment could bring anything - disaster, joy, death, wonderful news, devastation, millions of dollars, a great job, a new love, a wonderful experience, a horrible experience, and on and on.
The point is, don't ruin today by worrying about tomorrow.
In 1953 The Communists were going to get you. It said so in the January 1953 issue of Woman's Day magazine, in an article titled "The communists want you!" written by J. Edgar Hoover. Really!
(There was a recipe on the back, which is why the first page of this article got saved in Mother's cookbook for many years.)
And I quote:
"....a Communist National Women's Commission is in charge of preparing special programs for the indoctrination, recruitment, and training of new members....The enemy is here, invading your back yard, your home, your school....They detest our way of life; their allegiance is to the Soviet Union....everything our nation does is wrong, everything Russia undertakes is right....Communists want to make every nation - including ours - a Soviet state."
And on and on.
There's always something to be afraid of. If we let the fear take over, they've won already, whoever "they" are.
Well, they're not getting me, this particular weekend or any other.
Go out and make it a wonderful day!
*Arthur Dent - Character from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a sci fi novel. The guidebook within the book had on it's cover the most important instruction for traveling through space and time: "Don't Panic!"
Strangers in heavy clothing on a warm day.
People taking pictures at football games(???) because they might be taking pictures of security.
People talking to maintenance personnel at games or in malls, etc.
People asking about fire drills and bomb drills.
Full trash cans; maybe holding a bomb (I kid you not!).
All right, already. Those al qaeda guys must be surprised and thrilled that, ten years after the fact, they're still terrorizing the American population.
We need to chill. Let the professionals do what they're hired to do and protect us.
And then we all need to remember that the next moment could bring anything - disaster, joy, death, wonderful news, devastation, millions of dollars, a great job, a new love, a wonderful experience, a horrible experience, and on and on.
The point is, don't ruin today by worrying about tomorrow.
In 1953 The Communists were going to get you. It said so in the January 1953 issue of Woman's Day magazine, in an article titled "The communists want you!" written by J. Edgar Hoover. Really!
(There was a recipe on the back, which is why the first page of this article got saved in Mother's cookbook for many years.)
And I quote:
"....a Communist National Women's Commission is in charge of preparing special programs for the indoctrination, recruitment, and training of new members....The enemy is here, invading your back yard, your home, your school....They detest our way of life; their allegiance is to the Soviet Union....everything our nation does is wrong, everything Russia undertakes is right....Communists want to make every nation - including ours - a Soviet state."
And on and on.
There's always something to be afraid of. If we let the fear take over, they've won already, whoever "they" are.
Well, they're not getting me, this particular weekend or any other.
Go out and make it a wonderful day!
*Arthur Dent - Character from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a sci fi novel. The guidebook within the book had on it's cover the most important instruction for traveling through space and time: "Don't Panic!"
1 comment:
Wonderful and sensible post! I considered attending a picnic/event on Sunday at the Conneaut Cellers Winery. It didn't feel right. I plan to stay home and reflect, and make something beautiful to honor all.
Jude *
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