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opinion:
our view
History repeating
itself
Meet the new scare,
same as the old scare.
For most Americans,
the new worry is a biological weapons attack by terrorist
cells, and our nation is anxiously waiting for another unprecedented
disaster.
Much like America
in the 1950s and '60s, when the fear was from a nuclear attack
from the Soviet bloc, we are now subject to the constant threat
of terrorist attacks on home soil, and more specifically,
a biological attack.
The nation is responding
accordingly, clearing Army surplus stores shelves of gas masks,
bodysuits, packaged foods, etc., no matter the costs (which,
of course, are inflated). Soon, American citizens will build
underground shelters on their property in case of an attack.
This was the same
situation over 40 years ago when Americans cleared Army surplus
store shelves, built bomb shelters ? you get the picture.
Fortunately, there
was never a nuclear attack on the United States, and the Army
gear was only worn occasionally as a gag. The bomb shelters
became storage areas or a place for teenagers to make out.
Unfortunately,
there is no guarantee that a biological attack ? or any other
form of terrorism ? will not happen in the United States,
so the new shelters will be built and the gas masks and food
supplies placed inside.
The choice will
be yours ? either pool your resources and build or buy "protection"
from terrorist attacks, or continue to live your life as you
always have.
In case of an attack,
those who purchased these items ? assuming said items fend
off the effects of an attack ? will look smart, while those
who didn't will probably not be around to feel stupid. If
you're afraid, you should be ? Iraq used nerve gas in the
late 1980s to kill hundreds during its war with Iran and a
radical Japanese cult killed 12 people in a Tokyo subway by
using nerve gas. In fact, a Newsweek magazine poll finds 42
percent of Americans fear a biological or chemical assault.
However, this doesn't
mean you should wait and hide in your hovel ? the challenge
is to continue on and not allow terrorism to rule our lives.
Precautions can
be taken, but once we give up a semblance of a normal life,
the terrorist groups have won.
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