This topic actually has nothing to do with drugs. The title actually refers to a lame joke I made in another topic the other day.

During these tension-fraught holidays (Code Orange, after all), the War on Terror carries a price at home, as documented in this CNN article (http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/12/25/tappahanock.terror/index.html): The Tappahannock Police Department doubled its typical Christmas Day task force Thursday to handle the remote possibility that the small Virginia town may be the target of a terrorist attack, Mayor Ray Gladding said.

Instead of one officer patrolling the streets, the town will have two of its 10 officers working the holiday shift to keep Tappahannock's 2,000 residents safe . . . .

. . . . The eastern Virginia town ended up on the FBI's worry list, which includes Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; New York; and Washington. Another rural Virginia area made the list of areas of concern too -- Rappahannock County, with 7,000 residents about 50 miles west of Washington.

"The FBI just told us they intercepted some chatter. They just heard the name," Gladding said. "Somewhere, in translation, the name Tappahannock, Rappahannock [was heard] -- they weren't really sure."Something about this story brings a hint of a smile. Not because of any terrorist threat, but, well, tell me those first two paragraphs of the article weren't meant with some humor ....

And what am I to think of this?"We got one call yesterday about someone near a bridge," the mayor said. "It was a news crew from Washington taking pictures."But among the usual precautions, some of the town's three dozen or so Arab residents were interviewed, and at least one has voiced his satisfaction with the department's reasons for doing so. Beyond that, one last dose of ... yeah, I think it's humor:At the downtown Super 8 Hotel, Keesha Taylor -- in charge of the front desk and housekeeping -- said the 45-room hotel had just four guests, but that was not unusual and she was not aware of any cancellations.

"I don't think it's all that dangerous," she said, noting that she had seen more state troopers drive by the hotel than usual.

She was keeping an eye open for people who might be terrorists even though she's not sure what one might look like.

"A terrorist wouldn't look like somebody from around here," she said.Prudence is wisdom under certain circumstances. I suppose I have this silly grin on my face because even I forget that this is our War on Terror.

Tappahannock: Getting its war on since 2003.

Next on the hit list? Passamaquoddy.

Believe it or not, I think the problem is that I'm not as high as the terror level. Okay, there is your drug reference.

Edit: I forgot the link. http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/12/25/tappahanock.terror/index.html

Whoops. Sorry 'bout that.

Is that an onion article?

"A terrorist wouldn't look like somebody from around here," she said.

A normal terrorist looks like a guy from Kansas City. He'd smell like KFC and burnt oil. He might even have a button of Richard Nixon pinned to his coat.

Of course a normal terrorist wouldn't look anything like Timothy McVeigh.

Ten cops. They should hire more. That's hardly enough to protect the Wal-Mart and the local cantina, let alone the bowling alley.

That article reminds me of the movie Canadian Bacon.

Zombie sex should not be allowed within the boarders of the United States.

Ah gotta love the silly season. Tiassa, that article was priceless...

"We got one call yesterday about someone near a bridge," the mayor said. "It was a news crew from Washington taking pictures."

LMAO!

It'd be a shame if you were a tourist who stopped by the bridge to take photos, you'd likely get arrested by the ermmm extra security patrolling the town. Thanks for that article Tiassa, it brought a smile to my face as well... lol..


:eek:

Code Red:

Something about this story brings a hint of a smile. Not because of any terrorist threat, but, well, tell me those first two paragraphs of the article weren't meant with some humor ....

And what am I to think of this?

You'd think that it'd be a nice time to be a white robber. Seriously, think about this... Not that a small town like, what the fuck was the name, would have much doe...

In any case, who's protecting the old folks homes? The terrorists may strike the most defenseless. By god, we should hire Re Re and his cousins.

But among the usual precautions, some of the town's three dozen or so Arab residents were interviewed, and at least one has voiced his satisfaction with the department's reasons for doing so. Beyond that, one last dose of ... yeah, I think it's humor:

Are we sure the "Arab" was not wearing paint? What I woulnd't give to fuck up their Christmas.

Believe it or not, I think the problem is that I'm not as high as the terror level.
:( . I feel so utterly alone.

Oh well, at least in this war, the real darkies get to be left alone for a bit...:D

I can't believe I forgot the link ....

Nope, it's a real CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/12/25/tappahanock.terror/index.html

Uh ... sorry 'bout that, folks.

Small town USA.......

LoL
Dee Cee

One of the sad aspects to this story is that any strangers going to this town or driving through that town would be viewed with an even deeper suspicion. You'd really hate to be a tourist there at the moment and doing the touristy thing of going out and taking photo's of the local landmarks. The story was amusing but it also has a dark aspect to it that makes me think of how low the value and notion of privacy or individual freedom has become.

It's tragic that things have been reduced to such a state. And it also brings to mind how here in my home town how the police were called (and they arrived in force) to a theme park where a man of middle eastern appearance was seen filming outside the park. The poor fellow was just filming his family walking to the gate of the park when the police arrived. Of course when the mistake was realised words of apology were spoken and the man and his family allowed to go on his way. But I just kept thinking how they would have felt as the whole incident had happened at opening time at this theme park where a few thousand people were waiting to gain entry through the gates. The embarrassment and humiliation that they must have felt would be indescribable:(. The words 'suspicion breeds contempt' keeps popping to mind each time I see these stories.




:eek:


P.S. Hey DeeCee, long time no read your posts... welcome back lol:p

Things aren't as bad as they could be. A Washington Post (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20031223/1000485.asp) article (yes, I know the link is to The Buffalo News) from before Christmas has Tom Ridge telling folks to carry on, carry on: "If you've got holiday plans, go. Don't change them," Ridge said. "We cannot be burdened by that threat or fear. We need to be alert to it."And folks have carried on, carried on."It doesn't make a difference," said Deborah Cusack, who was flying Monday to Chicago with her three daughters and her husband. "My focus is my family and Christmas." It would seem that Americans are still Americans. To a certain degree, that's good news.

But just a reminder:Each time, the alert status is raised from yellow to orange, it costs government agencies across the nation $1 billion a week, according to David Heyman, director of homeland studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. • Edds, Kimberly, and Michelle Garcia. "Transition to 'Orange' reassuring." Washington Post, December 23, 2003. See http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20031223/1000485.asp


Reflection on some words by Bells: The story was amusing but it also has a dark aspect to it that makes me think of how low the value and notion of privacy or individual freedom has become.I hadn't thought of it quite like that.

The way I see it, terrorists don't actually have to kill and maim us in order to win. They just have to throw a monkey in the wrench ... er ....

Burning up taxpayer money, though much of it recycles through the American economy; we can mince words, but someone somewhere in this country is afraid, else we would not be at Orange; Ashcroft lays seige to the US Constitution. The "terrorists" aren't necessarily losing. In fact, it is only as the courts begin to farm out the fulsome Ashcroft offensive that the terrorists lose one of those three counts.

This condition annoys me more than anything.

Political soapbox:

The Taliban is reclaiming territory. Slowly. They apparently have help from madrassas in Pakistan. Speaking of Pakistan ... anyone taking a pool on whether and when Pakistan becomes ground zero for a new war? This is a dangerous situation, Mr. President. That the Taliban is not yet beaten and mopped up nothing to complain about per se. That they're not necessarily in the process of losing the war, however, is not satisfactory.

"Terrorists," whose only terror is the shadowy threats we hear about on the news, can cost this country a billion a week in extra vigilance and bring a sense of threat to America's Christmas. Thankfully, the American people know better, Mr. President. In this case, the American people are your salvation.

Al Qaeda itself, whatever exactly it is, continues to wreak havoc and we still cannot find a 6'4" Arab wandering around the Pakistani border.

(By the way, what was the count on that Air France thing? Four Americans questioned? Two German? A French? A Belgian? An Algerian? No terrorist connections?)

It's not so much that I'm directly unhappy, Mr. President, but nor can I say that I am happy with our war against Al Qaeda.

That you tried to sabotage our Constitution, Mr. President?

Unforgivable.

If we wind up in Pakistan over this sh@t ....

Hey Tiassa:)

The way I see it, terrorists don't actually have to kill and maim us in order to win.
Your comment brings back a memory of a conversation that I had with my old constitutional law lecturer soon after the 9/11 attacks. He is an American and he was devastated that it had all come to the event of 9/11. On this particular day I had gone to the law school to hand in an assignment and his office door was open and he called me in for a chat since it had been a year since he'd taught me and he missed our debates lol. And the first thing he asked me was what did I think the attacks meant now to the world. However before I was even able to formulate an answer to his question he shook his head and said that with that one particular act, the terrorists had won as the world would exist in a realm of fear from now on. Since the tragic event of 9/11 and the subsequent attacks that have followed since then, I have to agree. Each attack has resulted in the permeation of fear in all communities. In Australia we saw the raising of security levels at airports and in places of public interest and we somehow thought oh well it's ok, we're safe. But then Bali happened and since then I find that we too exist in a world of fear. The terrorist don't have to strike in Australia to win. In many ways they have already won as I watch our Government tighten its hold on the refugee crisis that is proving to be an embarrassment in the eyes of the world community. Why? Because the majority of these refugees are from countries that have been known to breed terrorists. It shames me that such fear can result in the denegration of these people as they seek a safer and better life for themselves. The fear that exists in our current times has also seen the Australian Government introduce air marshalls on flights in Australia. While a large part of me says it's good that I can feel safe on the next flight I take as there is now an armed policeman on the plane, a small part of me cringes at the thought. Next time I get on a plane I will be looking at everyone suspiciously. I could find myself sitting next to an armed individual who is legally allowed to be there. The thought of that brings with it a frightening feeling. That small part of me realises that this armed individual doesn't make me feel safe as if there was a hijack attempt and shots were fired on that plane, we could be doomed anyway. So I guess in a way, I too have joined the paranoid populace. I too find myself eyeing the people around me with suspicion now. Next time I get on a plane I will be looking at the passenger next to me with new eyes, with the thought that somewhere on that individual there could be a gun. Somehow that thought is more frightening to me than the thought of a terrorist hijacking the plane. The chances of that happening are remote, but the chance that I could be sitting (in close proximity) next to a legally armed individual on a flight is more fightening to me. In that, the terrorists have won.

That is why in a way my old law professor is correct and why I agree with that statement you made. Those few acts were enough for the hate to bloom and the fear to explode. In the US you have seen the introduction of the Patriot Act which appears to be a slap in the face of your constitution and bill of rights. Yet fear is giving such laws and attitudes more power. This fear is allowing the terrorists to win the battle as they watch countries such as the US and its allies and their citizens change our normal way of life and doubt our neighbours.



:eek:

That was a good article, it is sad that we've come to this.
Fear of anything.

This country is full of fear, anyone seen Bowling for Colinbine?

There are more guns in American hands than anyother country in the world, however we have more crime and homicide than any other country in the world. There are more people in jails in this country than any other "civilized" country in the world.

Americans fear mosquitos, bees, mad cows, blacks, jews, latinos,
and anything that is not the norm, the norm been white blue eyes caucasion. :rolleyes:

Don't believe me?

Just look a CNN, FoxNews, ABC,CBS,NBC. the show COPS, shows more blacks, latinos been busted for petty crimes than any other race that lives in this country.

Now we have invented a new fear, terrorists. As if throwing tons of bombs to a city of 4.5 million citizens was not an act of terror. Americans go on demolishing countries it first debastates with sanctions. The war on terrorism is not a war against Al-Queda, but a war on our civil liberties, our constitution, and our bill of rights, the war on terror, is a war against Americans way of life.

Too bad dumb ass scared Americnas waving flags, and been blinded by what they deem patriotic, are basically handing the government our bill of rights for the feeling of been secure. As if!!

But not all ppls in this country feel the waving flag, and been blinded by patriotism displayed in corporate news. Though some of the theories may be unfounded, the seed of doubt is planted in some;

http://www.rense.com/general46/wake.html




Godless.