Fear and Foolishness

Shortly after September 11th, a Terror Alert scale was created. The scale is a color-coded schematic that is supposed to be indicative of the kind of alert that the government is on at any particular time with respect to terror. There are 5 colors that range from Red (high alert) to Blue (minimal threat).

Ever since the scale was implemented, the city of New York has been on Orange (just below Red) alert, and remains at that level to this day. Earlier this year, when intelligence suggested that financial institutions were targets for terror, a number of Banks were put on Orange alert all along the East Coast. For much of the last three years, the rest of the nation has been on Yellow (just below Orange) alert.

I have been an ardent critic of this foolish system for a number of reasons. For starters, given the current state of this planet, will there ever be a time when this nation is at the Blue level again? Doesn't this system allow potential terrorists to choose to attack at a time that is most convenient, like when we aren't on Red alert (or even Orange for that matter)? If we aren't on High alert now, what does that say about my safety as a citizen in this country today? Will the next successful terror attack be the only time that we are back on Red alert (because if you ask me, we should be on Red alert always)?

See what I mean? This system is stupid. It doesn't accomplish anything. All it does is toy with the emotions of US citizens.

Two weeks ago, Osama Bin Laden released the first video tape he had made in months. He was clearly defiant and seemed to be as determined as ever. He also seemed very healthy. In times past, when al-Qaeda has released a tape, an attack would follow soon after (Bali, Indonesia and Madrid, Spain for example); not always, but enough to raise suspicions.

It would seem to me that if there were any time to elevate the alert level it would be now. Instead, Thursday morning, the alert level was lowered for financial institutions. In fact, the government boasted that they wouldn't raise the alert level following Bin Laden's tape.

Does that make sense? NO!

So here's my suggestion, either get rid of the pointless and ambiguous system, or keep it to yourself (by yourself, I mean the government. You keep it to yourself). We don't need our emotions toyed with. And when you release security information, we want it to be credible. We need it to be credible.

If you want to have a "code red" alert system, keep that info "in-house." Then you can be honest with yourselves about how dire a terrorist threat is. Because as it stands now, I don't think you're being square with us. All indications seem to be that an attempted attack is just around the corner. We've heard the threats increased in recent days, including Bin Laden's tape. So, for me, you lost credibility the moment you decided not to raise the terror alert-and your integrity further diminished when you lowered the alert on financial institutions the other day.

Get your mind right! Do away with the system!
-Maelstrom