John D. MacDonald warned of Terrorists (My Head)

County Press (Second Thoughts) ^ | 2-26-03 | William W. Lawrence

[Temple Owl]

The late John D. MacDonald, one of my favorite authors, wrote the following in The Green Ripper in 1979.

"We run a strange kind of country in the modern world. Customs and Immigration are in a sense token services. Any plausible-looking person can find many ways to come and go unimpeded.

Anything that can be flown or floated can be brought in or taken out. We are but a wide place in the road in the middle of the world, and they wander through, back and forth, marveling at the lack of restraints.

"It is a paradox. The openness which endangers our system is the product of the policy which says that to close our borders and enforce all our rules and back them up with guns would change the system just as completely as any alien force.

"Terrorism is going to pay us one fat bloody visit. But it will only be a visit. They underestimate our national resilience. Aroused by that kind of savagery, we will become a very tough kind of people."

Mr. MacDonald was ahead of his time.

* * **

They call themselves anti-war campaigners but in reality they are simply anti George W. Bush.

They have equated Bush with Adolph Hitler.

They seldom mention Saddam Hussein. They never mention the hundreds of thousands of people he has had killed.

They will never march for the victims of Saddam Hussein nor will they protest the thousands of children who die needlessly every year under his rule. There will be no signs protesting Saddam Hussein's torture chambers. If it were up to them, Saddam would be allowed to kill another million innocent people.

These peace-loving humanitarians will never know what living in a free country means unless their freedom is taken away from them.

I am truly delighted that I live in a country where their protests are protected as part of our society.

I also thank God they have George W. Bush and the United States Armed Forces to protect them against themselves.

[Temple Owl]

These peace-loving humanitarians will never know what living in a free country means unless their freedom is taken away from them.

I am truly delighted that I live in a country where their protests are protected as part of our society.

I also thank God they have George W. Bush and the United States Armed Forces to protect them against themselves.

Me too!!!

Check the rest of the column.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Human shields every one of them.

[Temple Owl]

ping

[Tribune7]

Ping

[Travis McGee]

John D. died way too young, dammit.

[Movemout]

Ironically, the book that hooked me (when I was ever so much younger) on JDM wasn't a Travis McGee Adventure/Mysery. It was the Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything. I subsequently read everything he had ever written, or would write. I wish he was still writing. He had a great way of painting a scene or a thought.

[Travis McGee]

Yes he did. Some great movies came from his books also.