Do any of these terror alerts ever faze you in the least?

[UdoKier]

Personally, I feel the same about terrorism as I did before 9-11 (though I was a lot angrier after). Terrorism is a fact of life in a global technological age. we can take certain security measures and reduce the risks somewhat, but we will be no more successful in eliminating it than we have been at eliminating garden variety violent crime. The more countries we make war on in the guise of "fighting terror", the more angry people will become inclined to joining a terror group.

Anyway, I do take it quite seriously, and always have in the back of my mind that there is a sliver of a chance that this could be the day that I shuffle off my coil due to a terror attack (or a runaway bus, or o-157 e. coli), but the terror alerts have struck me from the beginning as a totally Orwellian scam. They are too vague for the general public to do ANYTHING but go about their business as usual. So even if there IS a real grain of truth behind the warning, its uselessness to the layman demonstrates it to be nothing but a mindfuck, a ploy to keep our fear racheted up so we won't ask questions, and will turn to Dumbya to protect us.

I realize what I've said here is far from original thinking, but I do wonder, do ANY of you guys feel scared (of terrorists, not of Bushco) when you hear these alerts?

[mandelion]

1. I do

I work for one of the companies listed. We have had real anthrax attacks and what not since 9/11. Where I work, I give out our physical address for complaints, etc. (not my bright idea) Mail has to be opened in a seperate contained unit by people in gloves and protective gear. We have bomb drills and what not.

So these scare me quite a bit.

[Bluebear]

2. Terrified for a while since I travelled a lot for work

Then recently opened my eyes. Today's mischied cinched it. (See my other thread 'Will our nerves be allowed to heal')

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2143794

[ibegurpard]

3. At first

not long after 9/11 and the anthrax mailings they made me pretty jumpy. Not anymore. I wouldn't believe this administration if my own mother was their spokesperson. If they issued an alert and something happened I would chalk it up to coincidence or deliberate malfeasance on THEIR part.

[soup]

31. The anthrax mailings

Did everyone with a mailbox receive instructions?

Possibly still buried around here somewhere is a notice we received from the U.S. Postal Service on mail handling.
Ah, here it is online - http://www.usps.com/news/2001/press/pr01_1010tips.htm

Did I over-react?

For awhile, I forbade anyone else in the house to retrieve the mail. I actually stood out front and sorted it. Anything I didn't recognize as 'normal' went immediately into the trash. Everything else, I opened before it entered the house. A small (and more sane) part of me emerged and said this is NUTS!, but the bigger part said I was doing what was necessary to protect my family. I honestly said to my husband, "Avenge me," not even half joking.

Time and This is NUTS! (sanity) finally won out.

Then came the timely scuba divers, crop dusters, people carrying The Farmers Almanac or a :shudder: camera, and on and on. The alerts all seemed to be very well-timed attempts to save this misadministration's asses by misdirection.

I like the way you put this - 'I wouldn't believe this administration if my own mother was their spokesperson' I'm not quite there yet. If my mom said "duck duck" rather than responding with "goose", I'd probably duck. Everyone else's credibility is completely SHOT. But my mom's? - I'm ducking.

[yowzayowzayowza]

4. Absolutely not.

Period. If a 9/11 occurred every year, I'd still be six times more likely to die in a drunk driving accident. I will certainly be careful on the road at 2am Sat morning as well as wary at known terrorist targets, but the general public alerts are GARBAGE.

[featherman]

5. No

although I suppose I might if I was going out for pizza in Haifa or Baghdad.

[MichaelHarris]

6. not in the least bit

but then again I live in the middle of a wheat field. Unless someone is pissed off at the wheat industry I'm pretty safe.

[quinnox]

7. No

And not because I think they may be politically motivated, it is possible they are legit. But I just don't believe in going around scared, if something happens it happens.

[madrchsod]

8. no..the corporations in this country

kill more people with pollution each year than all the terror attacks combined.

[cthrumatrix]

22. very true ... but no political gain in telling people that

[hope42mro]

9. Not a fact of life

I agree. Terrorism doesn't feel that real to me. The threats don't penetrate. The terror warnings seem pointless when the public can do nothing to stop the terrorists. Who knows, maybe they help explain hightened security measures; but I don't really care about extra airport searches and roadblocks anyway.

I say terrorism isn't a "Fact of life". The same way the KKK isn't a fact of life. Religious fundamentalism is a tumor cancer in a freedom-embracing world community. It must be dealt with seriously.

[UdoKier]

12. There are 6 billion people on Earth.

The only way to control all of them would to be to have security, surveillance and police to the point that society would no longer function. We have already taken it way beyond the point of being extremely inefficient.

Even if the US changed its foreign policy and actually upheld the ideals it espouses perfectly, and even if all the economies of scale around the world more or less evened out, there would still be crackpots who wanted to kill innocents every now and then. Luckily for most of us, they are a tiny minority. As long as there are different religions, philosophies and cultures, there will be clashes that prrovoke terrrorism. It even happense on freaking Star Trek for pete's sake.

[Droopy]

10. They don't bother me

But I live in bum fucked Ohio. Then again they probably wouldn't bother me all that much if I lived in NYC or DC because I think they are a sham as you do.

[JSJ]

11. zip, nada, zilch n/t

[Princess Turandot]

13. I was working in a NYC hospital on 9-11..

one of the closer ones to the WTC (I do administrator not clinical work) and never really felt afraid then for myself, just profoundly saddened. Having the RNC here is worrying me a little, however. I also confess that every time I pass the UN, the thought crosses my mind that attacking it would be a great way of discouraging international cooperation on terrorism, since it seems so exposed just sitting there along a river. I do assume that they have security up the ying-yang on the building/complex, but it still makes me uneasy.

This latest round of 'alerts' didn't get me too excited, even though I had a dentist visit just a few blocks from the Citicorp building.

I do admit to wondering later in the day why there seemed to be a Mr. Softee ice cream truck on what seemed like every corner :).And they weren't even playing their jingle.

[newyawker99]

37. Hi Princess Turandot!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Curious Dave]

14. We should pay very close attention to the alerts

Because we're going to get hit again...shrub will make sure of that! At some point between now and November shrub is going to have to show the amerikan people how great his anti-terra programs really are. What better way to validate the need for all this fascism than to issue a terra alert and then follow it up with another made to order MIHOP attack somewhere?

When are people going to open their eyes and realize there is no such thing as AQ, but that BFEE is alive and well?

[enigmatic]

15. Nope..

I'm going to live my life the best way I can and what happens, happens..

[LiveWire]

16. Dont really give a damn...

Terrorism seems to be an east coast thing.

[UdoKier]

17. Why does your post strike me as insincere?

Maybe it's just me.

I don't live in fear of terrorism, but I would NEVER say that I "don't give a damn".

That's sad if you really feel that blase about it...

[newyawker99]

38. Hi LiveWire!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[radfringe]

18. even a busted clock is correct twice a day

My concern is the "wolf-wolf-wolf" syndrome

since 9-11, we've had many many terralerts. The first one in the days following 9-11 had people running out to buy plastic sheeting and duct tape. Army surplus and other similar stores were selling gas masks and other "protection" items, hand over fist.

We get a terralert - then what? No attack comes, no follow-up es stories about some "terra-ist" being caught, or the "plot" thwarted.

People KNOW that there will be another attack, it's not a question of IF it's a question of WHEN. However, more people are inclined to doubt the accuracy and motives of government issues terralerts.

Will we see another attack that coincides with a terralert? Even a busted clock is correct twice a day

[Tansy_Gold]

29. My sentiments, too, radfringe

Like the psychics' predictions: if they make enough of them, a few are bound to come true.

So the December issue of soem tabloid splashes a headline on the front page: "A major motion picture star will die in a tragic accident in early 2005!" Odds are it'll happen. Same with a terrorist attack. Does that mean either the psychic or the booshies were correct? I don't fucking think so.

It's just not worth my losing any sleep over.

In fact, it's not even worth the time I spent on this post! :-)

[Nay]

19. No, not at all. And I don't live too far from DC and work in a hi-rise.

But I am surprised at the number of people at work yesterday who swallowed the terror alert hook, line and sinker, and were in fear for their lives. It was astounding. I gently walked them through a logical sequence of thoughts, got them to start considering facts rather than reacting emotionally, and they calmed down.

What was distressing was the comment by one woman after I suggested that the terror alert was probably an election year scam -- "Oh, I hadn't thought about it that way! I feel better!"

I felt like crying. She felt better because she had been LIED TO, and probably was not going to die in a car bombing. Ya just can't get through sometimes.

[area51]

20. "Do any of these terror alerts ever faze you in the least?"

No, not @ all. I know Shrub & Co. are serial liars.

[incapsulated]

21. I live in NYC

The threat is real, but God only knows when or if it will come. Clearly, this admin can't keep us honestly informed. I don't think about it much on a daily basis, most of us don't. I will be a bit nervous during the RNC, but what can you do? We're on our own.

[Dem2theMax]

23. No.

One, the crying wolf all the time is getting old.
I absolutely refuse to live in fear. No terrorist or dimwitted president is going to scare me into changing my life.

I know we'll get hit again. That's a fact of life. We've pissed off more than half the world. Who doesn't want to kill us now?
I figure if it happens it happens. My worrying about it is not going to make it go away.

Besides, I spend all my emotional energy 'wishing' * out of office. That's MUCH more productive! :)

[AngryAmish]

24. Yes. My sister works for the NYSE

Not much I can do, but I freak.

[AmerDem]

25. I'm not buffaloed by bullshit!

:kick:

[ellie]

26. No, I am not scared one bit,

in fact I have a hard time believing that there are even terrorists out there (besides the ones in the White House, of course).

[Quahog]

27. Not in the least

Of course, I live in suburban Rhode Island... who on earth would be terrorizing me?

[Killarney]

28. This latest one

scared me, because it had specifics (what buildings and everything). Then, come to find out the data is 3 years old and it was political once again. I had been had.

The GOP should be called the party who cried wolf.

[HarveyBriggs]

30. Yes Here's How:

Green: Bush is ahead in the Polls
Yellow: Bush is even in the Polls
Orange: Bush is down 5% in the polls
Red: Bush is down by more than 10% in polls and is calling his brother to fix another election.

Very easy to understand if you're observant.

Harvey Briggs

[terrya]

32. No, frankly. It's "the boy who cried wolf" syndrome.

I don't believe a damn thing the Department of Homeland Security says anymore. They've shot their credibility with these constant alerts.

[RebelOne]

42. My sentiments exactly.

[bemildred]

33. No, it's bullshit.

They have us right where they want us in Iraq.
Why should they come here again?
And if they did, or the spooks give it another shot,
it's still less of a risk than driving to work.

[lojasmo]

34. Nope, don't care at all.

I figure if it happens, we've brought it on ourselves anyway.

[ObaMania]

35. Nope.

[thecrow]

36. I'm not too afraid of pre-9-11 terra information

I'm more concerned about what Smirky is doing behind our backs under this cloak of "protection" and what rights we are losing from right under our noses.
Is this an experiment of how it will be under martial law?
Here in Washington today, streets are closed, cars are being searched, and everyone's on edge.
How long can they keep this up?
One has to wonder when all this security stuff will die down.
And then what?
Another terra attack ?
People in Europe and elsewhaere in the world also live under threat of attack. They've been attacked more times than we have, yet they are not under these restrictions.
I believe it's Smirky fooling with our heads, and hope to God I am right about this.
Ya gotta keep on living!
My vote's not changing though. If anything, it is even MORE important to

rid ourselves of this administration.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bridget Burke]

41. Happiness is a warm gun.

Bang bang.

Shoot shoot.

[clyrc]

40. Last month I was in an airport that was supposedly

under very high alert for terrorism, and I was worried because I was coming in from the Middle East, and I thought it would be a nightmare. It wasn't. As far as I could tell, no one who worked at the airport was even slightly tense.