Galaxy Highland 10
Is Terrorist Threat Real?
RECEIVED Wed., Nov. 19, 2003
Are we really at risk of terrorist attacks or is this just an excuse to pillage our civil rights, environmental laws, and make rich oil men even richer? If there really is a threat of evil "bad guys" to destroy our nation, then why aren't the five "fishing" cops ["Knee Won't Let Fishing Cops Off the Hook," Nov. 14] being brought up on charges of treason?
What punishment is a one- to 30-day suspension? After a year's worth of dereliction of duty? Those officers were paid by my tax dollars to protect my friends and family from sinister agents of terror – for which millions of dollars have been diverted to fighting – and these guys make a complete farce of it – they're thumbing their noses at the president of the United States! And furthermore, if there is indeed a threat, they placed the life of every person in Austin at jeopardy.
What if some al Qaeda operative had managed to sneak in the power plant while these cops were filleting their flounders? What if an Iraqi truck armed with nuclear explosives drove in while these officers were flogging their fish poles? If half of Austin had died, would they still be suspended for a fortnight and retire with full pensions?
For if our otherwise hawkeyed police force sincerely believe we are at risk by agents of mass destruction, then why is this being played out like a joke? And if there is no threat – which we must surely question by the APD's response to the egregious acts by their officers – might the police chief tell us we have nothing to fear? And need we also doubt he would have the integrity to let us divert then the extra money being used to buy high tech toys to spy on us for important things like education and taking care of the poor, homeless, and elderly?
What punishment is a one- to 30-day suspension? After a year's worth of dereliction of duty? Those officers were paid by my tax dollars to protect my friends and family from sinister agents of terror – for which millions of dollars have been diverted to fighting – and these guys make a complete farce of it – they're thumbing their noses at the president of the United States! And furthermore, if there is indeed a threat, they placed the life of every person in Austin at jeopardy.
What if some al Qaeda operative had managed to sneak in the power plant while these cops were filleting their flounders? What if an Iraqi truck armed with nuclear explosives drove in while these officers were flogging their fish poles? If half of Austin had died, would they still be suspended for a fortnight and retire with full pensions?
For if our otherwise hawkeyed police force sincerely believe we are at risk by agents of mass destruction, then why is this being played out like a joke? And if there is no threat – which we must surely question by the APD's response to the egregious acts by their officers – might the police chief tell us we have nothing to fear? And need we also doubt he would have the integrity to let us divert then the extra money being used to buy high tech toys to spy on us for important things like education and taking care of the poor, homeless, and elderly?
R.W. Deutsch
