Partyof5’s daughter is reasonable in her fears, and I am reasonable in mine,
zoosermom, if everybody followed your lead - at least in this - then what would bigoted people use to spread fear and hatred? Calling only muslims/people of color etc. by certain titles creates a climate that certain politicians and war mongers thrive in.
So, the administration wants to bring in 10,000 Syrian refugees. Many state governors have opposed the refugees coming to their states. The administration says that the refugees will be thoroughly vetted to insure that no terrorists are trying to sneak in with them.
Serious question: How is our government proposing to do that? There is no government in Syria to check. Are there fingerprint records or facial recognition intel that is going to be used on every one? They don’t have passports or the passports they have are fake.
Don’t get political. But I think these words about vetting and checking all the refugees is just nonsense trying to placate the public.
They think that if they’re nice to the barbarians, someone else will be murdered instead. But it doesn’t work that way.
Of course it’s nonsense, TatinG, and it was admitted as so over the weekend in the press.
Something that I hadn’t known until I started working with a Muslim organization is that there is a gigantic divide and even animosity between Arabs and non-Arab Muslims. the cultures are very different.
@Zoosermom, yes let’s all cower in fear of the terrorists like they want us to. It’s you who seem to have a pretty thin skin in the comments.
The administration spokespeople are not admitting it.
I wasn’t nasty to a concerned mother. That would have been you.
I go to work every single day in Times Square. I take the subway, I take the ferry, I live my life quite well, But the thought of going through that again makes my knees go weak and bile come into my mouth. Now living through it is certainly better than not living through it, but if you lived through 9/11 in DC every day, then you know how bad it is and I find it very, very hard to believe that any human being wouldn’t be horrified at the thought. If you aren’t concerned, then God bless you, but I’m not sure that’s better.
@NoVADad99 I didnt lecture you as a matter of fact, you seem to be lecturing my child. And now you are lecturing me when you say, what I need to tell her, as if I dont have common sense to tell my child that the chances are low.
Again, she is a child, who was 5 the last time a terrorist attack of large scale happened on american soil. So it is not unfathomable that she would be a bit freaked out. But yea for your nerves of steel {{insert eyeroll}}
Well, I and over 1 million other people lived within 40 miles of a nuclear submarine base, and throughout the 1970s we knew that our area was a first strike target. My favorite high school teacher told us of his fear and his plans to head to the mountains for shelter when he was a young teacher during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The point is, we live day-to-day notwithstanding our fears.
And I’m sure that’s what partyof5’s daughter. Notwithstanding our fears. I like that. Not without fear.
I work with guys who have been on multiple deployments, and some who have been wounded in combat. Some not much older than our kids. My perspective is probably much different than yours. All this is just noise, and you can only do so much. Only thing you can control is your own actions. Watch your surroundings, don’t be around high value soft targets (large crowds in open areas). Always have a plan.
For parents with children who are confused, scared, or wondering, this is a great recap, with tips for parents of kids in all age groups:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/explaining-the-news-to-our-kids
NoVADad, I come from a Marine family. Actual blood relatives who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other theaters. I agree with you about being prudent, but I don’t agree about not feeling fear. But we are all different.
I absolutely can’t not be around high value targets. Every time I walk outside my office I’m in what is always called the target of choice. Every time I get on the ferry I’m in a high value target area. No choice unless I quit a fantastic job, which I will not do. But I am afraid, and I think rightly so, that it will happen again. I’m older now and I don’t think I could do it again and keep my sanity.
All of DC is a high value target. I work on a military installation which in itself is a very high profile target. My colleagues didn’t stop going to work after 9/11. We just become numb to it. Frankly we are all more scared of the traffic and the crazy drivers here than the terrorists.
^I guess “numb” is the right word.
Teenagers and children haven’t had time to get numbed yet, they haven’t developed thick skin at all. For them it’s the first time and it hurts inside and outside.
I admit I was nervous this morning. There was an alleged sniper in DC. This is what was really going on. http://wtop.com/dc/2015/11/barricade-situation-blocks-downtown-d-c-streets/ But, for a while there,many people hadn’t a clue as what was going on.
After the ISIS warning, this put people on edge. Personally, I think that’s understandable.
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Last night I saw footage in Paris of a number of people gathered to mourn the victims suddenly running in every direction, screaming that they had heard gunfire. It turned out not to be gunfire that scared them, but fireworks. I can certainly understand their reaction. And who thought it would be a good idea to set off fireworks two days after a massacre which utilized guns and bombs?
I keep my fears in check as much as possible, but they creep into reality even when you don’t want them to. Although husband didn’t say a word to me about it today, according to news reports Penn Station was swarming with police and military during this morning’s commute. H makes that commute every day, when he isn’t flying somewhere–let’s not even go there either. Younger D is at NYU and walks between Washington Square Park and Union Square which are lit in red white and blue and the scene of vigils. Older D works midtown and transfers trains at Times Square every morning. No, I’m not paranoid and no one in my family is actually articulating it, but certainly NYers are stoically on edge. We cannot keep out of crowds or think strategically because then the city–and our everyday existence-- would come to a halt.
^ Similar here. H and I live in DC area. Oldest child works in Manhattan, younger attends school in London. We are not paranoid and know that we must keep on going about our lives, but it does cross our minds.