5 Years Later: Where Are We?
Isaiah N. Warner
On September 11, we became aware of how vulnerable our country is to terrorism. For the first time since World War II, a foreign combatant killed thousands of Americans on US soil. While war has been waged in countries thousands of miles away from New York City, little has been done to create real homeland security. The best way to fight terrorism is by increasing security at home.
We have to take our shoes off before we get on an airplane, but are the airports as secure as they could be? The 9/11 Commission says no. We have received failing grades for protection at airports. Detailed recommendations were given to the President, yet they have not been implemented. Recently, a passenger carried a stick on dynamite onto an airplane. The mission has not been accomplished.
Only 5% of all cargo entering the country through the port system is inspected. Is the President doing anything to increase the capability to screen materials entering the US? Instead of increasing port security, he stood by a plan to outsource control of ports to a foreign company. In his campaign for Congressional District 22, Congressman Nick Lampson has been an outspoken critic of this negligence. Lampson understands that port security is inadequate; when will our leaders in Washington understand?
The Bush Administration continuously identifies Iraq as a front of the War on Terror. The American public disagrees. Iraq had no connection to the attacks that killed 3000 Americans, yet our military is in the quicksand known as Baghdad. Iraq was a diversion from the War on Terror, and it is our soldiers who are paying the cost for this mistake.
For the intelligence community, 9/11 was a failure at every single level. Despite concrete recommendations from the 9/11 commission, the Bush administration has failed to implement sufficient reform. The CIA and FBI are as ill prepared to prevent terrorism as they were 5 years ago.
While there is a legitimate security problem at the US-Mexico border, it must be known that the terrorists who attacked our country on 9/11 were here with legal visiting status. Terrorists could just as easily cross the Canadian border into Montana as they could cross the Mexican border into Arizona. Highlighting the broken border is nothing less than an attempt to create a wedge issue for the 2006 midterm elections (i.e. gay marriage in 2004.)
Homeland security starts at home. The best way to fight terrorism is by improving protection domestically. By not providing real reform, we have done very little to honor the memories of those who lost their lives 5 years ago.
Isaiah N. Warner
On September 11, we became aware of how vulnerable our country is to terrorism. For the first time since World War II, a foreign combatant killed thousands of Americans on US soil. While war has been waged in countries thousands of miles away from New York City, little has been done to create real homeland security. The best way to fight terrorism is by increasing security at home.
We have to take our shoes off before we get on an airplane, but are the airports as secure as they could be? The 9/11 Commission says no. We have received failing grades for protection at airports. Detailed recommendations were given to the President, yet they have not been implemented. Recently, a passenger carried a stick on dynamite onto an airplane. The mission has not been accomplished.
Only 5% of all cargo entering the country through the port system is inspected. Is the President doing anything to increase the capability to screen materials entering the US? Instead of increasing port security, he stood by a plan to outsource control of ports to a foreign company. In his campaign for Congressional District 22, Congressman Nick Lampson has been an outspoken critic of this negligence. Lampson understands that port security is inadequate; when will our leaders in Washington understand?
The Bush Administration continuously identifies Iraq as a front of the War on Terror. The American public disagrees. Iraq had no connection to the attacks that killed 3000 Americans, yet our military is in the quicksand known as Baghdad. Iraq was a diversion from the War on Terror, and it is our soldiers who are paying the cost for this mistake.
For the intelligence community, 9/11 was a failure at every single level. Despite concrete recommendations from the 9/11 commission, the Bush administration has failed to implement sufficient reform. The CIA and FBI are as ill prepared to prevent terrorism as they were 5 years ago.
While there is a legitimate security problem at the US-Mexico border, it must be known that the terrorists who attacked our country on 9/11 were here with legal visiting status. Terrorists could just as easily cross the Canadian border into Montana as they could cross the Mexican border into Arizona. Highlighting the broken border is nothing less than an attempt to create a wedge issue for the 2006 midterm elections (i.e. gay marriage in 2004.)
Homeland security starts at home. The best way to fight terrorism is by improving protection domestically. By not providing real reform, we have done very little to honor the memories of those who lost their lives 5 years ago.
posted by YoungDemsAtUH at 11:22 PM
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