So much for keeping us safe from terrorism

[Nicholas_J]

Today in my local news, a report of "Arab looking men" were reported by a security guard to be driving around in a van in the downtown area, videotaping buildings and other possible targets for terrorist attacks.

It was of source, reported on the local Fox Affiliate. I cant find it on the affilates web site, but my girlfriend called me out into the living room to hear it when the story was being aired.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Blatant prejudice rears its ugly head

Arabs and Muslims and anyone else that 'appears Arab' are fair game. Let's not forget that a Sihk was murdered after 911 because he 'looked like a terrorist'.

[Barney Rocks]

2. I am not sure that

it is automatically terrorism just because some men with an Arab appearance were driving around and videotaping the scenery. It could be terrorism, it could be tourism.

[HFishbine]

3. "Videotaping buildings ... for terrorist attacks."

And they know this how?

[Nicholas_J]

4. The real point is...

That in a city with two of the largest naval bases in the United States, they
do not even have the means in place to check on such occurance even to rule out
the possibility that the people who were involved were "just tourists" taking pictures
of the sites (if you have ever seen the area they are discussing, you would be aware that
no one in their right minds would be taking videos of the area for as tourists. Down town
Jax, with the exception of some major highrise office building is a dump, mostly with
windows boarded up with plywood, however, the office building house some of the headquarters
for some of the largest corporations in the U.S., including a number that members of
Bush's cabinet have worked for. There is absolutly nothing tourist worthy in the
area)

There are a good many Muslims in this city. but no one would go around videotaping
the downtown area for aesthetic purposes.

Again, discrimination is not the point. The fact that no one was available to determine
what was going on is.

Not having first responders to keep an eye out is. THe police here are so strapped
That "Officer Dummy" is the largest portion of the police force, and every other block
you see police cars parked in positions to observe traffic that have dummies dressed
in police uniforms in order to control traffic.

Which is also why we have the worse traffic problems in the state.

If terrorist are going to choose someplace to hit, it will likely be a place like this
Run by conservatives who cut taxes so close to the bone that there is no one to
monitor for possible terrorists.