America on its Way to an Unsupported, Unpopular War
Ryan Cannon
Editor-in-Chief
I’m scared.
Saddam Hussein called Osama bin Laden Saturday, informing him that he had ordered 100 pizzas and wondered where they should be delivered. The two bantered about the mock prank call—the opening scene to Saturday Night Live—and bickered over who was giving whom the worse reputation.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has increased our warning level for terrorist attacks from elevated to high—one step down from severe, although they refuse to release whether this change has been brought on by specific intelligence or simple a bad feeling. This is a code orange, folks.
In order to prepare for any possible attacks, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has released a publication detailing how to prepare and protect oneself from a possible cyber, chemical, biological or explosive emergency.
According to the publication, “Are You Ready?” (http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/) Americans should be prepared with rolls of duct tape and sheets of plastic in order to seal windows, doors and vents from possible airborne weapons. The shelves at Walmart are already empty.
Um, can we be realistic for a second here? Duct tape? While it may be water-proof and tear-proof, be great for hanging posters or fixing carpet, is it going to make a room air-tight? Regardless, sealing oneself into a room has to be about as effective as using a garbage bag as a gas mask.
National tension has reached such a high that Americans will grasp onto anything in an illusion of safety, and panic at even less.
A spat in a Chicago nightclub led to the country’s most deadly human stampedes, where 21 people died trying to escape a perceived chemical attack. People stepped on each other, crush one another and piled against the doors so that they could not open.
Meanwhile, across the pond, anti-war protests rage all over Europe. According to the Christian Science Monitor only twenty percent of the British public agrees with Prim Minister Tony Blair siding with Bush, and London hosted a 750,000 to one million-person demonstration to prove it.
What can citizens do? Enlist or hide. As the clock ticks down, Bush will get his way—with United Nations approval, or without. Soon enough we will be on a fuchsia alert level, the Beast will arise and seven angels will be pour out their bowls.
Our political leaders are twisting arms, begging and pleading to get into a war with Iraq, pulling the American public along by the hand like a child, trying to convince us to believe it is necessary. I guess we should trust Bush and follow what he says. It is, after all his job to be informed while we are merely civilians.
After all, we did elect him.
…In a way.
