[geeks] Bush's Speech

[Big Endian]

>
>I certainly would.  And I'm glad the president gave those examples
>and mentioned that it should NOT be an excuse to turn in people
>because they are different.

This is something people should do *ALL THE TIME* not just in 
response to terrorism.  Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. 
That means not just watching the people here in washington who need 
to have some sense beat into their heads, but also the people who 
would try to take your freedom/property/life/etc by force.  When I 
lived with my parents, the two passenger side wheels were stolen off 
of our van parked in the drive way.  That came about a year after the 
neighborhood watch disbanded.  If people had been willing to help 
out, in addition to the local police force, we probably would have 
caught the people involved, now we'll never know.

>However, too much of the time, people are being told just to "report
>any suspicious activity".  That gets creepy.
>

Those of you who have met me in person know that I wear an army issue 
tactical assault vest.  I don't carry deadly weapons (unless you 
consider a leatherman wave to be a deadly weapon, to me its primary 
purpose is that of a multi function tool, not weapon.  Highschools 
thing differently).  I carry standard issue things like cell phone, 
wallet, sunglasses, my asthma inhaler in there.  I also carry two 
multi tools, a microtape recorder, a 50 pound cargo tie and an 
insulated paperclip with the ends stripped off.  Some of these may 
qualify me as MacGuyver but not a terrorist.  I was riding the metro 
(washington DC subway) yesterday to go out to a branch office, and 
the train op walked by me, looked once, twice, then three times.  He 
gets into the op booth and pulls out a sign that tells any of the 
metro police(the metro has its own police force) who happen to get in 
that car to see the train op.  I'm not a terrorist, in fact I abhor 
killing, but people judge others by their appearance.  It IS creepy, 
I'm experiencing it first hand.  Will I stop wearing my vest? No. 
America is built on tolerance and respect and I intend to uphold the 
ideals of our country even if others forget what it means to be an 
American.  People are so wound up to be pro America, patriotic, anti 
terrorist that they follow blindly the people they put in office and 
their fears and let slip their commitment to the ideals of this 
country and its constitution.

<Shameless Plug>
Please, if you are an American do something about the insanities 
going on in congress today.  My company runs www.congress.org.  We 
help people communicate their opinions to their elected officials 
through the web.  Tell your friends, neighbors, coworkers to visit 
www.congress.org or in some way, shape or form contact their senators 
and representatives.
</Shameless Plug>

daniel