Monday, December 29, 2003
Oh Fer Chrissakes
If this isn't nutball paranoia masquerading as high-minded action in the public interest, I'll eat my hat. It seems like a joke--and, for all the good it will do in fighting terrorism, it is--but what's not funny is the seriousness with which our solons are propagating this nonsense, which does nothing but ratchet up the general anxiety and give us yet another reason to be suspicious of our neighbors. Oh yes, the use of maps and almanacs may be innocent, and you may have nothing at all to hide if you are stopped carrying one--but you can damn well bet your name is going into some database somewhere, and your innocence will be suspect forevermore.
I have maps in the glove compartment of my car, and what's worse, I have been collecting almanacs for nearly 25 years. Somebody call Ashcroft.
If this isn't nutball paranoia masquerading as high-minded action in the public interest, I'll eat my hat. It seems like a joke--and, for all the good it will do in fighting terrorism, it is--but what's not funny is the seriousness with which our solons are propagating this nonsense, which does nothing but ratchet up the general anxiety and give us yet another reason to be suspicious of our neighbors. Oh yes, the use of maps and almanacs may be innocent, and you may have nothing at all to hide if you are stopped carrying one--but you can damn well bet your name is going into some database somewhere, and your innocence will be suspect forevermore.
I have maps in the glove compartment of my car, and what's worse, I have been collecting almanacs for nearly 25 years. Somebody call Ashcroft.
