Sunday, July 04, 2004

It's the 4th of July again, Orange alert? WTF?

From a /. rant I wrote yesterday:

Good god. We are supposed to be on alert during the 4th of July?!? Hasn't this happened for each major event and holiday since GW took charge? Between the scrolling bar of terror, featured on FOX (the conservative mouthpiece) news, national alerts, color coded no less, from the department of homeland security, and the general atmosphere of fear ignited by 9/11, what is the average person to do?

Absolutely nothing. That's right nothing. Americans do not live in fear. We are a proud people with a great history, currently suffering from a bad leader. We have almost nothing to fear but our leaders right now. Don't buy into it.

Fear is the mind killer. (Dune -- Frank Herbert) Through fear we lose our ability to question, our hard won civil liberties, and our self respect. Through fear, our leaders chip away at our sense of what it is to be American. Fear unites our nation under ignorance and god. It's #$*%&#$ sick, frankly.

Go out this 4th, forget the terror alerts, turn off the tube and practice a little independance. Light a couple of the really good fireworks while wondering exactly why there are so many rules dealing with the celebration of independance. Talk to your friends and family about good things.

The terrorists are angry at our actions, not us the people. Don't forget that. If you respond to the contrived fear we see today, you lose the ability to live your life to its potential. Why do that? What is there to gain?

While you are enjoying a particularly good firework, hopefully with some blues and greens in the color, ask how or when we are ever going to see a blue or green terror day. As you realize the world has problems, know that it always has. Nothing has changed except our ability, as a nation, to rationally deal with the problems just as we always have.

9/11 was a bad day for all of us. Many said the world changed. The reality is far from that. We changed because we bought into the fear. Our leaders let this fester and grow to their gain and our expense. Take back your life and liberty from the fear. Understand the difference between true fear and the shallow contrived fear put before us every day.

I don't live in fear. I ask hard questions every day of my leaders. I work hard to make sure my family knows the truth about fear and how it is being used. I respect my nation and its historical values. I resent our current direction.

I am not alone.

Have a good 4th.

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