Terrorist threats....

[Doug123]

Maybe it's because I'm in the presumably safer Midwest, but I really don't care what color the alert is at the moment. I think we're just as likely to have a terrorist incident when the color is at a lower level. It's all a meaningless gimmick. Everyone should be aware of their surroundings, pre and post 9/11, no matter what color the alert level is for the day.

Let's be realistic, you're more likely to die in a car accident on your way home from work today than at the hands of terrorists. Let's keep this all in perspective.

If we live in fear, the terrorists have already won.

 

[MICKEY88]

Originally posted by Doug123
Maybe it's because I'm in the presumably safer Midwest, but I really don't care what color the alert is at the moment. I think we're just as likely to have a terrorist incident when the color is at a lower level. It's all a meaningless gimmick. Everyone should be aware of their surroundings, pre and post 9/11, no matter what color the alert level is for the day.

Let's be realistic, you're more likely to die in a car accident on your way home from work today than at the hands of terrorists.
not sure I agree with this,,the intel is strong on this one, and they've even mentioned needing to kill 4 million americans, if they attempt to hit those numbers it willl far exceed car fatalities, for the same time period..

Let's keep this all in perspective.

If we live in fear, the terrorists have already won.

we don't need to live in fear, to be careful and observant

 

[Doug123]

I agree to be aware, but that should have always been the case. To a certain degree, our country is living in fear more than it did before the events of 9/11. All I'm saying, is to let them affect us like that is exactly what they want.

 

[monarchsfan16]

We HAVE to be alert. I only wish we had better intelligence. I try not to live in fear, because isn't that the whole point of terrorism? To inflict fear on the innocent. And I don't want the terrorists to have succeeded. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to not live in fear, as terrorism has touched my family, in a nasty way. I woke up this morning to this announcement on the radio, and I can assure you, my family is scared stiff. Yes life goes on. But that doesn't mean we get safer. We can't let our guards down, not for an instant. We will still travel this summer, possibly even by air. But I will continue to be as vigilant as I have been since 9/11. And I don't think I will ever stop that.
The government definitely isn't giving us false warnings so that they can be re-elected. Why scare a nation just to try to boost popularity? Bush isn't that kind of man.

 

[Robinrs]

It must be nice to know what it felt like to feel "safe"... Most people don't feel safe since 9/11, I've never felt safe since 3/11... 1956 that is, the day I was born.

My world has always considered "unsafe", by people who didn't look all that threatening, either. Sure I'm very aware and always, and I mean ALWAYS, on the alert, only now you've all joined me. Welcome to my world.

I'm sure the FBI gets MANY warnings daily, no minutely, from the concerned to the paranoid. I'm sure they spend most of the day trying to tell one from the other, too.

Yes, continue to be alert. I don't remember a day that I was not.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

I fealt very badly to have read your last post. I hope you truly don't feel that way. I would like to think we all must have had a time when we fealt safe. I worry about this with my own children. And I hope and pray every day that my children grow up feeling safe. If not in the big wide world, but here at home always. And that is really all you can do.

 

[maci]

I try not to worry...I really do, I want to be one of those that say I will live my life because I dont want them to win. And for the most part I do...but it is scary!!
I work in a mall, and I am scared everytime I go into work. Malls to me are the most obvious target. Most malls' security is SO not what it should be, and would be too easy to bomb.
We are going to disney land in a couple of weeks and I must admit it has crossed my mind as well. It seems to me, Disney land would be an easier target than disney world, just because it is right in the middle of town. But what do I know?!
Needless to say, I am still going to work tonight and we are still going to disney in 2 weeks....but it is so sad that we have to be afraid!

Oh, as far as the being aware thing....I am ALWAYS on the look out for things that seem out of place!

 

[Jynohn]

This reminds me of something that happened to me last summer. I was going food shopping when I noticed two men of middle-eastern descent standing in the parking lot. They were taking pictures, supposedly of one another, with one person posing at various angles with the other one snapping the pictures. At the time I thought to myself, "now why would these people be taking pictures in front of the grocery store?" I continued shopping, but the more I thought about it the more it bothered me....

I called my husband and asked him if he thought it was strange and he agreed that it was. At first I was hesitant to call the police because I thought that it was somehow racist to be suspicious of these men, but then I decided that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Well I did end up calling the police, and they took my call very seriously. They asked for a full description of the men and said they were sending someone right out. Apparently they had received a complaint earlier in the week of two men with similar descriptions acting suspiciously in the same store. I never did hear if anything came of it, but I'm still glad that I called. Who knows if something was prevented because of people being vigilant that week. In this day and age of being politically correct, I think people, like me, are hesitant to speak up when they see something out of place, but sadly we really can't be too careful....

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by AirForceRocks
For everyone that says "There's nothing I can do", I beg to differ. No, it's not likely that you're going to overhear a terrorist on his cell phone, planning where to park the truck or telling the other guy which mall to bomb. But simply being aware of stuff that seems out of the ordinary *could* make a difference...

...it's hot out - why is that guy walking around in a winter coat?

...hmmm...why is that box sitting at the door of that building?

...why is that open jar sitting on the subway platform?

...why has that same truck driven around this block or building 4 times in the last 5 minutes?

...hey, I wonder why that guy just dropped a backpack into that trash can by City Hall?

...that truck that is broken down on the bridge...why is that guy running away from it?

I'm not suggesting that everyone start tackling strangers on the street, but just take the time to *notice* what is going on around you that seems out of the ordinary.

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EXCELLENT post, AFR !! Last New Year's Eve I reported a large tractor trailer truck that had crossed the bridge from Albany (state capitol of NY) over to Rensselaer, just before the First Eve Celebration was to start because something just "wasn't right".. The person driving the truck not only didn't know HOW to handle the truck, but was trying to make a u-turn in the middle of a 4-lane highway to head back to the State Capitol.. It was probably nothing - maybe the guy was drunk - but it alarmed me enough to call the police on my cell phone and I would do it again in a heartbeat..

Personally, I have a very bad feeling about these newest threats and I will be twice as vigilent as I have been in the past.. I won't crawl into a hole somewhere and hide, but I won't go out of my way to be in places that I don't consider safe either..

Most importantly, I will report ANYTHING of a suspicious nature and hopefully it will be for nothing..

 

[Nancy]

I feel more concerned about these because they HAVEN'T raised the threat level! I am always alert of situations that don't seem right.

I was robbed at gunpoint at work almost 13 years ago. The man that did it was in the store for a while and just looked out of place. I even commented to another employee abot the old man trying to look like a biker dude.

If I would have told security, the man would not have pulled a gun on me. I now report any person who looks suspicious to me. I worked overnights for many years...if I felt uncomfortable with anything I would call the calls stocking the shelves to come and stay by me until the person/people left the store.

I plan on being even more alert now. I also went through hours on 9/11 not having a idea if family were ok or not (thank God they were), so i take these things very serious. It does not stop me from going about with my everyday life...I will not live in fear...even though it is scary. I live very close to where the "Lackawanna Six" lived. I know the FBI is still watching people in this area.