American Thinker: Al Qaeda Targets Our Schoolchildren

If something like this were to occur the backlash on any and all Politicians would be so great I don't think anyone knows what the effect would be. Most specifically it would destroy the Demecratic party and take serveral Republicans as well for the stances they have taken on Homeland Security and the War on Terror. This scares me a great deal as I have three young children of which two are in school and ride the bus. The second back lash would probably be the end of the world because I think all the world will go after the terrorists and I wouldn't be supprised if Nuclear weapons are used.

It is common for us to ignore threats; whether to convince ourselves that they don't exhist, or to try to overcome it by "love", "diplomacy" and "tollerance". At times we even convince ourselves that we are invincible or beyond the dangers that may lie in wait.

Take a look at history. The US was convinced that the threats from Japan and Germany would go away and/or not affect the US in a direct way. During the 90's, we didn't take the threats from bin Laden too seriously. The Romans thought the Goth's as mindless barbarians without the skill, education or technology to sack Rome. In the 6th century, the Persian Emperor (one of the most powerfull men from that era) scoffed and laughed to scorn the muslims who threatened him with annihilation if he didn't accept the teachings of Mohamed and the Koran.

It is my experience that some threats need to be taken very seriously.

I agree Desechado, this is a threat that should be taken very seriously.

All terrorist activity must be taken seriously. The problem is trying to get to the details. How do you warn parents that their kids might be the target of a new terrorist attack? that would spread chaos around the nation, thus terrorists win. They could try to find out who would be targeted out of all the schools in the nation. Would they go after big cities like New York, Washington D.C., or even L.A.? Maybe they will do like in Clancy's book "The Teeth of the Tiger" and go after the heart of America, the smaller cities that think that they are safe?

I really want to know how this problem can even be approached. More information, how do we get more information? All I'll say is that may God protect us from the evil out there. May our little ones be safe from the devil and his minnions.

Without knowing it, Nelly4 struck the liberal way of thinking on the head of the nail. This way of thinking demands that we not talk about bad things because people can't handle it. For some reason, they think that the only ones that can handle it are the ones in "control" of the masses.

The LDS Church has an interresting view of catasrophe and hardship. It is simply to expect the unexpected and then prepare for it through food & water storage, getting out of debt, keeping liquid funds (savings) in case of financial hardship, and other things such as 72 hour emergency kits. If you all notice, mormons don't go around freaked out all the time because a catastrophy may happen. They simply expect the unexpected and prepare for it.

I think that people are not given enough credit to take information and act like adults.

Nellock brings up a good point.  How do you fight it if you don't know it's going to happen?  But if you let yourself live in fear then the terrorists have already won.  

I think the best way to fight terrorism is to avoid terror... don't give in to it. Then we need to keep living life like it is worth living and has purpose. When 9/11 happened, one of the goals of the terrorists was to hurt the aviation industry. When people didn't give in to the fear of flying on a plane that may be highjacked, the terrorists lost and we won.

Over the last couple weeks, conservatives have been talking about the terrorist threat with schools and school buses (see http://utahpatriots.com/blogs/desechado/archive/2007/09/10/3686.aspx). So far we are winning because we keep sending our kids to school despite what we know may happen. We keep living life. We don't live in fear. I think we all understand that one day it may happen and that we may end up a statistic. Even after it happens, I hope we can all resume life and move on.

Informing people of the threat is not living in fear. If they would inform the people we would be better able to prevent it from happening. People do not need to live in fear but we do need to be vigilant as a people and as a community.

Okay, new question. How do we avoid the conflict or do we just take it and move on like Des says? If we can prevent it, how do we? or will it turn in to more political rhetoric like that of 9/11 (conspiricy theories)?

I was just thinking of how we can avoid or, in hope of saving some lives, just discourage the terrorists by starting up a carpooling for the kids. That the parents who don't work take turns driving the children in their immediate area.

Could also offer lower school taxes for not using the bus system. Maybe even the Democrats would like that since that would help on car emmisions, right? No big yellow bus with black smoke billowing out from behind.

Not sure what y'all think but here are just a few suggestions. Do like Rcougar says "be vigilant as a people and as a community."

The carpooling idea is decent but I don't think it would work.  More cars equals more congestion at schools and they're already congested enough.  Then the plot changes to a bus sitting in front of a school (because not all kids can have somebody carpool them) and kills students, faculty and parents.  

American's are interesting creatures in that we feel that we have to know about and control EVERYTHING!  This often leads to disappointment and frustration as we fail in our endeavors to be all knowing and all powerful.  We also have an odd sense of "tragedy" vs. "horrible accident".  Six miners dead underground is a horrible accident.  150 miners dead underground is a tragedy.  We have a tendency to call little things tragedies and the melodrama continues.  I believe that this stems from our desire to control everything.  

des is right about learning what the danger may be and then living life despite the danger. too often you conservatives do "freak out" and overreact because bad things may happen. at the same time, too many liberals do just the opposite and ignore the dangers. hurricane katrina and new orleans is a good example of this. there were people who would still beer and cigarettes from store shelves while leaving food to mold and rott, thinking that somebody would come and give them what they need.

another thing. just because i would react diferent to danger than a conservative doesn't mean that i don't understand the danger. maybe there is another way to handle it. for example... some of my other conservative friends spend thousands in their two year disaster supply. they go to REI, Emergency Essentials and other specialty stores. i on the other hand buy a little here and there at walmart and after spending just a couple hundred dollars over a period of time, have the same as what they do.