Posted on 08/08/2004 6:48:35 PM PDT by technomage
TRINIDAD, Colo. (AP) - Americans should do more to protect themselves against terrorism by setting up neighborhood watch groups, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry says.
"If we do that to protect ourselves against vandals or a burglary, why would we not do it to protect ourselves against a terrorist?" Kerry asked during a Saturday interview with reporters aboard his campaign train.
Kerry, who was joined on the train by his running mate John Edwards, said that the current system of nationwide, color-coded alerts is confusing.
"We need a neighborhood watch kind of system so that we have a way to notify people, they know what they're supposed to do," Edwards said. "We shouldn't have millions of Americans, or hundreds of thousands, trying to figure out at 3 o'clock in the morning what they are supposed to do. They ought to know what they're supposed to do."
Kerry, who was resuming his campaign swing Sunday evening in New Mexico, also said in the Saturday interview that he would continue research on a program to develop weapons to shoot down incoming missiles if he is elected.
"I believe in pursuing and researching and developing missile defense. I've supported missile defense research," Kerry said. But "I don't believe in rapid deployment of a system that hasn't been adequately tested. I will continue missile defense research, I will continue missile defense work, because it's important for the country."
The two Democrats also criticized the Bush environmental record.
"I think they have done a number of things that are troublesome. They have rolled back protections for the quality of our air. They have lowered the standards and the regulatory requirements that have been in place for over 25 years. It's damaging not only to the environment, it's damaging to the health of our kids who have asthma, to seniors who have respiratory problems. I think it's an enormous issue," Edwards said.
Kerry said he would consider putting a Republican in charge if the person was a "thoughtful, balanced person."
"It might be a Republican, it might be a Democrat, I don't know. I'm not looking for an ideology," Kerry said.
"I think that we have a false choice put before voters, that voters are made to believe it's a choice of either the environment or jobs. That's wrong. Protecting the environment is jobs."
Wait a minute! Average everyday Americans looking for terrorists? Bet the ACLU steps into this one!! Average Americans might use racial profiling to locate terrorists, don't ya think??
"We shouldn't have millions of Americans, or hundreds of thousands, trying to figure out at 3 o'clock in the morning what they are supposed to do. They ought to know what they're supposed to do."
The key phrase there is "they ought to know what they're supposed to do". Once again, a lib assuming Americans are just to plain stupid to know what to do in case they "find" a terrorist. I sure as hell would know what to do and so do every one of my neighbors.
"I believe in pursuing and researching and developing missile defense. I've supported missile defense research," Kerry said.
Is this true? What is his record on this?
The two Democrats also criticized the Bush environmental record.
Old stuff. We do more for the environment than the rest of the world put together.
Kerry said he would consider putting a Republican in charge if the person was a "thoughtful, balanced person." I'm not looking for an ideology," Kerry said.
Wow, now THAT is an outright lie. C,mon F'n, you can do better than that!!
Well, he still has not laid out any plans for anything. Neighborhood watch groups? They are already there! And I would assume they would notice someone of the Arab persuasion scoping out the neighborhood. This guy is an empty suit that cares nothing about anything in the world except his own power.
Let's go out and start hunting arab terrorists in our neighborhoods.
This guy is a cartoon.
Wouldn't we have to get some AK-47s and RPGs to do this correctly?
LOL!
The first step in protecting US in our neighborhoods is to vote for President Bush.
Vote against lying crooked liberals.
But of course if a group of citizens actually DID something like whacking out a potential terrorist, the left and Kerry would be calling it vigilantism and "hate."
Surely John wants us to keep and bear arms to fight the terrorists with?
well, since he isn't going to fight the war on terror as president - at least he is tipping us off in advance, that citizens will have to do it on their own.
This guy reminds me of a fairty tale. . . . And Chicken Little said, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"
What's this horse face's voting record on gun control? Why do I already know the answer?
Naw, He want us to be an all sports team:
Baseball bats, football helmets and padding, basketball sneakers, etc.
That's all we need at the neighborhood level.
now let's not get ahead of ourselves - he'll give us whistles to blow.
Is he trying to sound stupid on purpose? Brilliant, if only we'd had more neighborhood watch groups before 9/11...
Us backwards country folks allready take care of each other. My neighbors know when I'm home or away. They know who belongs here and who doesn't. Anyone screwing around my yard at night will likely meet my heavilly armmed neighbor and his heavilly armmed son.
LOL Yeah something like that.
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