Threat level raised to "Orange"

by DanTheMan 33 Replies latest social current

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  DanTheMan

  fresh intelligence suggests al Qaeda is planning multiple catastrophic terrorist attacks in the United States,

  Yay, ain't it a grand time to be alive?
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  imallgrowedup

  Dan,

  I can completely relate to what you are feeling. I have felt this way since 9/11. In fact, it has affected my life so drastically, that I didn't go to work that day, or the next or the next one after that. In fact, the last day I ever worked a job outside of my home was September 10, 2001. The early dawn hours of 9/11 was the last time I ever had hope in this world - and the first time I actually realized that my family or I could die at the hands of evil. In fact, it was the first time in my life I ever truly believed that Armageddon wasn't just some story my JW mother used to scare me with. And it was the last time I listened to a music station on the radio - I obsessed on the news, I needed to know every single thing that was going on at every single moment. I was AFRAID. However, I want to make the point here - I was NOT afraid because my country told me I should be - I was afraid because real terrorists showed me that I should be. Real terrorists struck in my homeland and I never dreamed I would ever see that happen in my lifetime. If they could do it once, they can do it again.

  These days, I am not so fearful (thank goodness). However, whatever fear I do harbor is not because the terror alert has been raised a notch - it is because I know that no matter how hard we try to keep these evil people out of our country, it is impossible to keep them all out, and it is a matter of time before they strike again. I APPRECIATE that our nation employs the "threat level system." Even if it is a false alarm, at least I know that my country is keeping an eye on things and is trying to keep me informed so I can make choices about my child and myself. The victims of 9/11 didn't have those choices - whether they would have made the same choice anyway or not. I do have the choice, and so do those of us who did not die at the hands of terrorists that day. I appreciate that they are doing their best to make this country as safe as humanly (not divinely) possible.

  That said, I sometimes get a bit frustrated with people who "poo poo" the threat level system and accuse our government with trying to have their own little terrorfest simply for using the threat level system. Admittedly, until recently, the administration was not as disciminating as they have become when it has decided to raise the threat level to orange. But to go so far as to say that they were trying to control us through the use of this system is a bit of a stretch, IMHO. What would our government stand to gain by using this system to control us? If everyone stayed home on orange days, it would have a large impact on our economy. It would lower our productivity, and reduce gasoline consumption from which the government receives revenue. I see no advantage to controlling us through the use of this system. Rather, I think the people who don't like the system, are the same people who thought Bush should have known the exact second and mode d'emploi the terrorists would strike/use. If they are so unhappy with the system he came up with to help keep us warned of attacks, what better solution can they offer up?

  growedup
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  morty

  I wonder if..........

  The jws of New York thought that maybe it was armagadon coming, when the towers were coming down?

  I have often wondered about this,and have always wanted to ask a Jw in that area this question...
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  DanTheMan

  growedup:
  

  The early dawn hours of 9/11 was the last time I ever had hope in this world - and the first time I actually realized that my family or I could die at the hands of evil.

  I can relate to that a lot. No telling what these religious fanatics might be cooking up to punish "the Great Satan" United States. They worship the same severe, punishing God that the JW's worship, even more so, to where they don't bat an eye at the idea of killing thousands or millions of us infidels. Our troubles began, not ended, when the USSR collapsed. In a way, I can relate to why these people find American culture so shocking, as I am no stranger to a puritannical mindset. There does seem to be quite a bit of rot at the core of the USA.

  Mortons, I've also wondered if the dozen or so JW's that died in the 9/11 attacks thought that it was Armageddon and they were not experiencing J's protection because they hadn't done enough or had some secret sin that they hadn't confessed or something.