There are vulnerabilities I am aware of that I have made the government privy to. I would never involve the media unless I saw the government purposely ignoring the problem. I think it's a big mistake to rely on government to protect us against terrorism. When the 9/11 terrorists were taking pilot training, one of the flight instructors notified the FBI and the FBI pretty much did nothing. I think there have been terrorist attacks on this country during the Clinton adminsitration that have been ignored and hushed up.
We should think more about empowering citizens rather than allowing government to take away hour rights in the name of security. The only 9/11 attack that was thwarted was stopped by citizens armed with cell phones and their bare hands.
The natural instinct of any government is to encourage people to act like sheep. They want you to:
-- not resist because you don't know what you are doing and someone might get hurt.
-- keep quiet, don't start rumors because people might panic.
-- obey anyone with a gun who says he is from the government.
-- give up anything that can be used as a weapon.
-- don't discriminate against anyone because of their looks or the language they speak. Trust everyone.
Airlines have been told that they cannot interview more than two Arab-looking passengers at a time for security concerns because that amounts to racial profiling.
No, I don't want to silence the media. We need to know what is going on. I'm not afraid of citizens panicking, I'm afraid of the government panicking.
If the government gives us our rights back -- the right to bear arms and the right to discriminate, then we will be much more secure.
We disagree on the roll of the media in participating on the "War on Terrorism". If the media was participating in a way I felt was responsible, I'd find it most welcomed. On numerous occasions I've watched detailed reports on the news programs that told how various weapons of terrorism were built. I find this both dangerous and irresponsponsible. There can never be any assurance potential terrorists are not watching these same programs.
If the media was participating in a manner that was telling citizens what warning signs to watch for, and how to address them, that would be beneficial. As it is now, the media acts like the barometer of changes the government seeks to impose on the law abiding population. By choosing to participate in a manner that empowers potential terrorists rather than citizens, the media is an active tool used to justify further government control.
You are right about involving citizens. Citizens offer the greatest untapped defense against terrorism. They also offer the greatest potential deterrent to an imposing government. The contrasting involvement of citizens during WWII and the present mislabeled "War on Terrorism" illustrate how controlling our government has become. The modern day equivalent of Civil Defense is by government invitation only. During WWII (and the Cold War) it was primarily a volunteer force of citizens.