Recreational Boats Considered a Homeland Security Threat

firstcoastnews.com ^ | 05/28/07 | jackelyn barnard

[TornadoAlley3]

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The Memorial Day holiday means it's a day on the water with the family.

Chuck Singleton does what he can to makes sure his kids are safe out here. The concern is who else is out there.

"You don't know where they come from," said Singleton. "You know, they could load up with a bomb or whatever and come right out here."

With thousands of boats on the waterways, the worry is the recreational boat is now a Homeland Security threat.

"Just the sheer numbers and ability to hide among recreational traffic is something that makes it difficult for me to find the threat and address it," said Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

A simple boat could be used as a weapon.

"Just the fuel, this has 85 gallons in this boat and that's bomb itself," said Singleton.

The head of the U.S. Coast Guard is throwing around a couple of ideas on how to keep you safe.

One would require licenses for all boaters in all states.

The other would call for transponders on recreational boats so authorities can track their location.

"Anything to improve our coast and help everybody out, we need to do it. We just have to get control over this. I think it would be a good idea," said Singleton.

Those against the licensing or the use of transponders believe the Coast Guard needs to set up a small perimeter, a safety zone, in areas of concern, so small boats can't get into certain areas.

[from occupied ga]

I've decided that there is a fundamental disconnect in your thought processes and my thought processes. Of course the government declares driving to be a privilege. They’re the government and wouldn't’t give you the right to breath if they could help it. This is the same government that calls tax cuts “spending” and thinks restrictions on gun ownership are “reasonable” Government ALWAYS try to expand their powers at the expense of individual freedom, and willing dupes who buy into the bureaucrats’ rationale for whatever phony crisis is the panic flavor of the day simply help this process along.

[Dixie Yooper]

I've decided that there is a fundamental disconnect in your thought processes and my thought processes.

My thought process is nothing more than a pendulum that bounces back at the halfway point so it never swings on the left side is issues.

[from occupied ga]

My thought process is nothing more than a pendulum that bounces back at the halfway point so it never swings on the left side is issues.

Ahh, ok.

[zeugma]

The common law right to travel has been enshrined in english law since the 1500s or so. Just because the government has convinced most folks through persistent propaganda that they have the power to do anything they damn well please doesn't mean the right no longer exists. Automobiles don't change the equation in this right any more than semi-automatic weapons change the 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. In that case though, even though we are fortunate enough to have it actually amongst those few enumerated rights listed in the Constitution, they still won't let you exercise that one for the most part either. They've even managed to convince most folks that you need a license to carry concealed! Just like when they first started the push for drivers licenses, they only required commercial truckers to have them. They push their agenda of control one small step at a time, because the sheeple will notice if they dump it on us all at once.

You're right about them stopping any vehicle they want though, because they have the guns and have nothing to keep them from using them.

[zeugma]

Some folk don’t get that “freedom” thing. A lot of them actually.

[from occupied ga]

Some folk don’t get that “freedom” thing. A lot of them actually.

Unfortunately true.

[takenoprisoner]

” Every state controls who can and can’t drive. I took drivers ed. in Michigan during 1973, and the first sentence out of the instructor’s mouth was about driving being a privilege not a right.”

Well then, that settles it. Your drivers ed teach said it, so it must be true. (eyes roll)

Meantime, the states must not be doing all that swell of a job “controlling.” Consider the fact that since issuing the first driver’s license in NY in 1910, accidents and fatalities continue to occur today involving licensed drivers.

Issuing licenses for recreational boaters will not prevent terrorist attacks any more than does issuing driver’s licenses for motor vehicles prevent accidents and fatalities from occuring today.

While some may take comfort that there may be less accidents and fatalities since the states control who may and may not drive, it is little comfort to the maimed or killed victim of a licensed driver.

[null and void]

When was the luxury tax on yachts and boats over a certain size? It ground the entire industry to a complete halt.

Not exactly. It destroyed the US yacht building industry, and put hundreds, if not thousands, of skilled Americans out of work.

It really boosted foreign boat builders though...

[null and void]

You are assuming that another attack is a bad thing.

(Ok, so it is for us peons, but)...

Our ‘Betters’ are eagerly looking forward to the next major attack.

On both side of the aisles.

The demoncrats want pictures of bloody mangled babies they can wave at the cameras while blaiming Bush and repubicans for not doing everything that they, themselves, blocked at every turn from happening.

They hope to leverage it into votes and power, power they can lord over the serfs at every turn.

The repubicans are eagerly anticipating that the dumbocrats will grossly overplay their hand (they will), and repubicans will ride to glorious victory on the backlash. Thereby giving them power they can lord over the serfs at every turn.

So what if a bunch of rabble dies? The skulls of infants and patriots make great stepping stones to power.

[null and void]

Play defense or play offense. I prefer to play offense.

Agreed. I also prefer Away games to Home games.

At least we have an answer to that Veitnam era chestnut, "What if they gave a war and nobody came?":

The enemy makes local deliveries...

[null and void]

Wrong. It took a special delivery system because of the minimum size of the bomb necessary to cause damage.

Actually we're both 'wrong', and both 'right'.

Barns Wallace realized that it takes a lot of explosives to move that much earth, steel and concrete. He further realized that "a lot" got smaller the closer the explosion was to the target. Ultimately this lead to the skipping stone delivery system.

This is a very complicated system who's sole purpose was to deliver an explosive charge to wet side of the base of a dam. Air delivery forced bomb shape, size, materials (The bomb had to survive smacking into water repeatedly) and spin so it would skip just right.

All those complications would simply go away if the Germans had only let the Brits drive a lorry onto the dam, and push it over the side...

Not that easy - I was at Hover dam last year and noticed that there were armed patrol craft making sure that no boats got too close.

The Cole had armed guards.

Naturally, these highly trained military guards in charge of protecting a US warship, in port in a less than friendly country, in a very volatile part of the world weren't allowed to have ammo in their guns. That would offend Yemenis!

Intel had shown that there was an active threat in motion, and we still couldn't didn't stop the attack. I'm less sanguine about our ability to defend a dam or any other target in this country using bored guards in what is perceived as a low threat environment. A little distraction, a few well timed and placed RPGs and the path is clear.

[null and void]

My thought process is nothing more than a pendulum that bounces back at the halfway point so it never swings on the left side is issues.

In other words, unbalanced.

;^P

[null and void]

Some folk don’t get that “freedom” thing. A lot of them actually.

Most people don't want freedom.

Free people are responsible for their own conditions. And worse, they have to think.

As one of my Professors so eloquently put it:

"Man is a very lazy animal, in fact he is so lazy he would rather work than think."

[null and void]

*sigh*

"Man is a very lazy animal, in fact, he is so lazy he will even work to avoid thinking."

Sorry, Professor McMillan..

[Dixie Yooper]

In other words, unbalanced.

In other words, unaffiliated. I would love to stick around and argue all of these fine militant libertarian points, but my fellow Buildeburgers would start to think I'm loosing my mind, which would put me in danger of loosing my country club membership :^D

Not to worry, when the time comes, I'll vote the straight Republican ticket, because it's what I'm always told to do.

[null and void]

Not to worry, when the time comes, I'll vote the straight Republican ticket, because it's what I'm always told to do.

Thank God for that. Keep toeing the line, Citizen...

[takenoprisoner]

“I would love to stick around and argue all of these fine militant libertarian points,”

When exactly was freedom, self determination, and self responsibility appropriated as a “militant libertarian” point of view? Freedom, self determination, and self responsibility has been a long standing American point of view. I must have missed the memo?

[Jason_b]

"The resultant water wall would potentially destroy Oak Ridge, a major defense industry location."

Wow. Smart move putting a defense industry location downstream from a dam.

[FreeRadical]

The authorities are doing their job for our safety, not just to mess with you and what you think are your rights.

I know my rights, thank you, and the idea that an LEO, probably with the assistance of Federal funds, could board my boat to count life preservers and it NOT be a direct violation of several God given rights is insulting.

Nanny state b.s. may be all the rage, but it's wrong here. You can do that stuff morally if the laws and founding principles are different. But, in America, the nanny state is not allowed by the rules.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Cowards are never good leaders.

And right now that’s what we have, cowards afraid of their own shadow while simultaneously petrified of doing anything even remotely useful to end the threat. End the threat and you start losing your power over the hapless idiots looking to you for salvation.

So they hopelessly flail around and make lots of noise and useless gestures hoping to fool the citizens into thinking something is being done to “protect” them all the while praying the violent thrashing about frightens off the predators.

Sharks are drawn to signs of distress...