Posted on 09/13/2001 11:54:38 PM PDT by kristinn
Recently, some well known posters on FR have stated that criticism of the Bush administration is treasonous and cause for those critics to be arrested under martial law. Those comments have been cheered by dozens of other active FReepers.
I am watching Free Republic turn into a totalitarian groupthink of the kind that the left used to unjustly smear us with when we criticized the Clinton administration.
Good people like Alan Keyes and Larry Klayman who stood tall and faithful with FR for years, and posters who supported them, have been crucified as heretics and run out of the FR family for daring to criticize the Bush administration.
The forum is now dominated by vicious Bush supporters with an 'Us versus Them' mentality against fellow conservatives. The desire to root out government corruption and advance conservative causes has been replaced with a bloodlust and blacklisting for those who don't worship the Bush administration like they do. This situation has been going on for awhile, but it has gotten out of hand with this week's terrorist attacks.
Now, with regards to the present situation, I'd like to pose some questions: Why were all passenger flights grounded for almost three days since the attacks so that new security procedures could be put in place? If our air traffic safety was so secure before, why is there a perceived problem now ? Could it be that it wasn't really that safe ?
Where were our intelligence services ? Why did we have Clinton holdover DCI, George Tenent, doing the work of the Secretary of State in the Middle East instead of cleaning up the wreckage of the past eight years ?
How is it that foreign terrorists can go to flight school in the U.S., plot and carry out a complicated, coordinated massive assault involving several dozen conspirators against two vital American facilities without being detected ?
How is it that four hijacked planes flew unmolested and unchallenged by neither our air traffic control system or our military ?
We have experienced a massive failure of our almighty-two-trillion-dollar-peacekeeper-of-everywhere-but-home-bipartisan-protection-racket-federal government.
Thousands upon thousands of our fellow citizens are dead because of this failure to detect or intercept these heinous terrorist acts during either the months before or the hours of their execution.
The federal government lulled us into thinking that those silly questions (is this your luggage ?) and an ID check at the gate made flying safe. All the while there were gaping holes in our defenses.
They let us down.
The purpose; the job; the responsibility of the federal government is set forth in the preamble to the Constitution:
WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The eight corrupt years of President Clinton accompanied by four corrupt, compromised Congresses followed by nine months of a Bush administration that chose to sweep the rot of those years under the rug rather than clean it up has cost us dearly.
For those who say nine months is too short to change things in the government, remember this was the return of the grown-ups to Washington; this was the return of wise, experienced old hands such as Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, John Ashcroft and former President Bush; this was the era of the rising stars like Condi Rice, Karl Rove, and Karen Hughes. They chose to 'move on', not clean up.
In the aftermath of the attacks, it appears that the Executive and Legislative branches of our constitutional republic are finally bearing their responsibilties as they should. Except that while they call this attack an act of war, they are refusing to actually declare war.
The terrorists and those who aided and abetted them bear full responsibilty for the deaths and destruction and should pay with their lives and their cities.
But the federal government bears responsibility for leaving this nation and its citizens so vulnerable. Saying that is not treasonous--it is said out of patriotism and borne of a love of this Great Nation and a desire to see it survive.
One of Free Republic's greatest strengths has been the freedom to ask the hard questions of our government. It would be a crime to lose this freedom to any mob of posters, especially in this time of crisis.
I support President Bush, but I reserve the right to criticize him without my patriotism being called into doubt.
I can't believe you're stooping to that level. You make me sick.
I did work for numerous airlines at Laguardia and JFK.
The one thing I know for sure, from all of my experience, is that there is nothing that will stop a determined attacker. NOTHING.
I've seen countless millions wasted on security over the years. I have come in to rework systems that were merely months old, that cost who knows how much, that were totally uselsss. The best I could ever do, even with those systems, is make it a little harder to attack this target. It is IMPOSSIBLE to make any target completely safe.
I guess my point is that there is no way to insure the safety of air travelers or anyone, anywhere for that matter. And that is why I am a MAJOR advocate of self defense. While I might make it harder for a bad guy to get into your offices, it is only by your being properly armed, that you might have a chance of surviving if he does get in.
The idea of passengers carrying arms on planes needs to be looked at, seriously. While allowing just anyone to walk on with any firearm is probably not a good idea, there must be some way to allow certain qualified individuals with certain approved type arms and ammo to be able to carry on board.
Employers in high risk type businesses should encourage their employees to carry their arms in the office. People should be encouraged to carry arms on trains, buses, and in areas of public assembly.
I remember waiting in line to go to the observation deck in the WTC last winter. I remember the signs saying "No Firearms Allowed" and I remember thinking, "Man, why not advertise that we're all defenseless here?"
I have never been back, and now, ironically, I may never be able to go back, even if I wanted to.
I have a question for all that read this now. Why, if we are at war, and why, if the enemy is among us, in hiding, waiting to strike at any moment, are we not being encouraged to arm ourselves? Why? Why? Why?
Why does our government insist on our being defenseless even in light of the reality that we will be attacked again, in some form? Why?
I am here now, only to stay abreast of the lates news on our situation.
True.
It's not that we can't stand it, we just like to point out the errors of those who fight Conservatism.
You mean like Bush water-carriers (from time to time) prior to September 11th?
The answer is amazingly simple. It's because both the left and the right intend to have THEIR gooberments dominate us,and they are both afraid of a armed population. This is truer the higher you go up the political food chain.
BTW,most of us that want to be armed already are. This is what makes the US a MUCH higher risk target area for terrorists than foreign countries. All the terrorists have to worry about in Europe are specialized police units. Here they have to worry about the old fat man or the skinny young woman standing in line behind them at the counter blowing their heads off if they get too frogy.
BTW,Part-2. One problem I see with a new Sky Marshall program is international flights. It would probably take some serious White House and FAA leaning on the gooberments of countries like France,Germany,and England to get them to allow a airplane to land in their countries with a armed civilian aboard. Then again,if they get this worked out my new motto will be "Have gun,will travel".
On what issues?
Somehow, I expect that any Islamic terrorists still lurking here would likely choose murder and mayhem methods rather more efficient than going out on the street and shooting. Like chemical or biological or bomb.
And I, for one, will defend your right to do so.
This is not about Bush or any other political leader. Now that we are at war, our men and women in the military will need all our support, all of it, let this not become another Viet Nam semi confusing war effort, where our military only heard that we were a house divided. Send our troops out there knowing we are full well behind them and support them in every way. We are now asking them to go out and many will not come home, will we remember them when we post/speak criticizm of our/their leaders? They can only get their strength from their Commander in Chief and we the people. God Bless them and keep them, God Bless America, God Bless this forum. United we stand, divided we fall. Let Freedom Ring.
This is not about Bush or any other political leader. Now that we are at war, our men and women in the military will need all our support, all of it, let this not become another Viet Nam semi confusing war effort, where our military only heard that we were a house divided. Send our troops out there knowing we are full well behind them and support them in every way. We are now asking them to go out and many will not come home, will we remember them when we post/speak criticizm of our/their leaders? They can only get their strength from their Commander in Chief and we the people. God Bless them and keep them, God Bless America, God Bless this forum. United we stand, divided we fall. Let Freedom Ring.
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