Posted on 05/26/2002 12:12:57 AM PDT by MJY1288
When suicide bombers call
Cal Thomas
Vice President Dick Cheney believes another terror attack on the United States is "inevitable." FBI Director Robert Mueller, in a speech last Monday to a group of prosecutors, said "suicide bombers" eventually will hit America. Like Mr. Cheney, Mr. Mueller said such attacks are inevitable.
Should we be asking and answering some questions now, rather than after the anticipated attacks? Suppose members of the estimated (by the Senate Intelligence Committee) 100 al Qaeda terror cells now in this country decide to simultaneously blow themselves up in shopping malls, apartment buildings, a mega church, a synagogue and several airports all on the same day, killing thousands of people? What would our government do? What should it do? Is there a strategy to deal with such events? If so, should the public know what the plan contains? What would pictures of bleeding and dead Americans do to the national psyche?
An acquaintance of mine predicts "vigilante-ism of a kind like we've never seen before" following any new terrorist attacks. Against whom? No responsible person wants to see indiscriminate revenge taken against people who fit the standard profile of a "terrorist" (i.e. Middle Eastern-looking, Muslim, head covered and carrying a Koran). That would really mean terrorism has won because we would behave like the terrorists.
Should the president declare a national emergency right now and suspend some rights guaranteed by the Constitution so law enforcement authorities can search out every suspected haven of fanaticism? Do such places, in fact, exist? The September 11 bombers lived in regular neighborhoods.
Since we know the profile of the typical terrorist bomber, does that mean we can exclude elderly white women of the type I saw being patted down by security people at LaGuardia Airport in New York recently? Or will we continue in the ridiculous exercise of political correctness run amok so as not to "offend" certain "groups"?
At a minimum, we should inform the regimes where terrorism is tolerated, if not fomented, that if we are struck again, we'll strike back again and with greater ferocity than we have in Afghanistan. President Bush stated as much shortly after September 11. He should repeat his statement, this time with more passion. We know where a lot of these terrorist camps are located. We should take them out.
We must find new ways of keeping people out of America who come from regions of the world with a record of exporting death. That means no more "students" from Middle Eastern countries and no more immigration until we can do a better job of profiling those who come here. If that means stationing troops along both borders, electric fences, high walls, guarding our ports and installing listening devices, so be it.
We're in a fight for the survival of this nation. We've tolerated every kook who has wanted to burn our flag, curse our leaders, run down our values, sully our virtues, blaspheme the God a majority worship, in order to protect the rights and sensitivities of the minority who don't. We have failed to teach American history because some are offended by it, accepted pornography and trash TV because it's supposedly the price we pay for a "healthy" First Amendment, protected criminals more than the law-abiding, treated the Bible like contraband in schools and wonder why people rebel against any "commandments," and taxed our productive citizens to subsidize the unproductive.
Too many young people know more about sex than about math, science and history. We refuse to promote marriage and produce babies out of wedlock as if we were biological beings without souls.
Our military might is unquestioned. Our moral strength has ebbed like that of Samson following that haircut from Delilah.
Our enemies have used our best character qualities against us — tolerance, inclusion, forgiveness and pluralism. They believe in none of these concepts and think anyone who does is an enemy of their god.
Can we win this war without playing by their rules? Americans are unlikely to tolerate the suicide bombings Israelis have had to endure with increasing frequency. Our political leadership must choose a response to many possible scenarios. Should another terrorist attack occur, we had better be prepared to strike at home and abroad without warning, without hesitation and with the full force of American military, political and moral might.
Are we ready to do this? Could someone in authority please answer these questions?
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist
Cal sounds like he is really expecting an answer. The fact is, Washington, from the President, to the Congress, to the Senate have all answered us already. They intend to do nothing at all that interfers with free trade, cheap labor, open borders, students from terrorist nations, immigrant votes. We just refuse to believe it.
Washington has become so corrupt that it will no longer function in anyway that is pro-American. In fact pro-American has taken on a whole different meaning to them. It is no longer what is good for American citizens, what is good for the culture, what is good for future generations, what is Constitutional, but instead has become, what is good for borderless globalism, what is good for the third world, what is good for our standing in the international community, what is good for the United Nations, what is good for Corporations, and most importantly, what is good for me the politican? All these things are suppose to be good for citizens, the over taxed cash cows that are being milked to death, but that is just not the case. Even liberal England and Ultra-liberal France are shipping out their illegals by the plane load.
It is time for the States to take their power back from this bloated entity. Not that States are not corrupt, but they are easier to manage and bring real change to than attempting to change the Fed.
It's a dangerous thing to assume there is a majority of these sorts of 'responsible' people, here or anywhere else.
I agree with Cal. We really cannot go on with these continual warnings without further action against potential terrorists. It's that simple.
Mine it. They're cheap and they don't take bribes, and they never sleep.
We're in a fight for the survival of this nation. Are we ready to do this? Could someone in authority please answer these questions?
After the next attack or two, there will be still more questions.
Perfectly said! But when did it change? For the last generation I have worked hard, raised a family, and now am near retirement. I look around, its like someone stole my country! I wonder if I will be able to take my grandchildren to lunch without the fear of a homicide bomber.
Vice President Dick Cheney believes another terror attack on the United States is "inevitable." FBI Director Robert Mueller, in a speech last Monday to a group of prosecutors, said "suicide bombers" eventually will hit America. Like Mr. Cheney, Mr. Mueller said such attacks are inevitable.
Should we be asking and answering some questions now, rather than after the anticipated attacks? Suppose members of the estimated (by the Senate Intelligence Committee) 100 al Qaeda terror cells now in this country decide to simultaneously blow themselves up in shopping malls, apartment buildings, a mega church, a synagogue and several airports all on the same day, killing thousands of people? What would our government do? What should it do? Is there a strategy to deal with such events? If so, should the public know what the plan contains? What would pictures of bleeding and dead Americans do to the national psyche?
An acquaintance of mine predicts "vigilante-ism of a kind like we've never seen before" following any new terrorist attacks. Against whom? No responsible person wants to see indiscriminate revenge taken against people who fit the standard profile of a "terrorist" (i.e. Middle Eastern-looking, Muslim, head covered and carrying a Koran). That would really mean terrorism has won because we would behave like the terrorists.
Should the president declare a national emergency right now and suspend some rights guaranteed by the Constitution so law enforcement authorities can search out every suspected haven of fanaticism? Do such places, in fact, exist? The September 11 bombers lived in regular neighborhoods.
Since we know the profile of the typical terrorist bomber, does that mean we can exclude elderly white women of the type I saw being patted down by security people at LaGuardia Airport in New York recently? Or will we continue in the ridiculous exercise of political correctness run amok so as not to "offend" certain "groups"?
At a minimum, we should inform the regimes where terrorism is tolerated, if not fomented, that if we are struck again, we'll strike back again and with greater ferocity than we have in Afghanistan. President Bush stated as much shortly after September 11. He should repeat his statement, this time with more passion. We know where a lot of these terrorist camps are located. We should take them out.
We must find new ways of keeping people out of America who come from regions of the world with a record of exporting death. That means no more "students" from Middle Eastern countries and no more immigration until we can do a better job of profiling those who come here. If that means stationing troops along both borders, electric fences, high walls, guarding our ports and installing listening devices, so be it.
We're in a fight for the survival of this nation. We've tolerated every kook who has wanted to burn our flag, curse our leaders, run down our values, sully our virtues, blaspheme the God a majority worship, in order to protect the rights and sensitivities of the minority who don't. We have failed to teach American history because some are offended by it, accepted pornography and trash TV because it's supposedly the price we pay for a "healthy" First Amendment, protected criminals more than the law-abiding, treated the Bible like contraband in schools and wonder why people rebel against any "commandments," and taxed our productive citizens to subsidize the unproductive.
Too many young people know more about sex than about math, science and history. We refuse to promote marriage and produce babies out of wedlock as if we were biological beings without souls.
Our military might is unquestioned. Our moral strength has ebbed like that of Samson following that haircut from Delilah.
Our enemies have used our best character qualities against us — tolerance, inclusion, forgiveness and pluralism. They believe in none of these concepts and think anyone who does is an enemy of their god.
Can we win this war without playing by their rules? Americans are unlikely to tolerate the suicide bombings Israelis have had to endure with increasing frequency. Our political leadership must choose a response to many possible scenarios. Should another terrorist attack occur, we had better be prepared to strike at home and abroad without warning, without hesitation and with the full force of American military, political and moral might.
Are we ready to do this? Could someone in authority please answer these questions?
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist
He's making too much sense, stop him. I think the INS and the SS Admin are under a mandate to maintain giant loopholes in immigration laws to provide cheap labor. This will cost us some day. It already has.
When an illegal can use the SSN of a dead person or can simply use random digits then you know something is up.
Could be a curse from God, allowing corruption and greed to influence politicians in order to replace the over 40 million children we have murdered with strangers and enemies. Now that would not suprise me.
We will profile and be proactive, relying on common sense for the common defense.
After the first body parts and pools of blood from our families at home and play are deleted from ABCCBSCNNMSNBCNBCFOXPBS telecasts, we will have every reason to be the miltia our Constitution recognizes. (Remember that Clinton blamed talk radio for OKC and wires for YWA's little accident off Long Island.) Our government will be functioning at the "compelling interest" level of unConstitutional legal authority to nullify our Constitution in the name of an illusion of public safety. Our Constitution requires that the federal government provide for the common defense. The best defense is a good offense.
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