Weekend of security threater

So as the country observes the 10 years since the September 2001 attack, all the toys tools, will be trotted out, the "highly trained" officers in black uniforms and tactical gear, buzzing choppers, bomb sniffing dogs, armored vehicles, the arrays of surveillance cameras.

The question begs are we safer on September 10th 2011, than we were on September 10th 2001?

The answer is yes and no

An airborne attack like the ones that occurred could well be repeated, instead of hi-jacking a plane going from Boston to LA, hijack one bound for NYC or Washington DC, there would be no time to intervene. So for that type of attack we really are no safer.

Those that want to build truck bombs just need to plan better, showing up at the local farm store with a rental truck and wanting to buy 10 tons of fertiliser will raise eyebrows, and likely prompt a call or 2,  but  those that are determined will find a way to acquire the materials. So we are no safer there ether.

The schools are not any more secure now than they were in 2001, and if Beslan was not a wake up call, not sure what is, putting up signs do not stop such things.

Likely the only place we are safer, is the case of a Mumbai style attack, but shooting like the one at I-Hop this past week proves that point moot. One witness was armed with a handgun, but he didn't want to go up against a man with a rifle, and I really can't blame him.

The government has spent 8 trillion dollars on security, but the majority of the plots uncovered have been by citizens.  The citizens that are licensed to carry should be, no I'm not saying run to the rescue, but there will be no one there to save you.

We have 800,000 cops, we have an estimated 6 million licensed armed citizens, but like the cops only a small percentage carry all of the time.

To be safer we have to get rid of denial, you cannot sit there and say it won't happen here (bet that is what they said in Oslo Norway too) It can happen anywhere, anytime.

If you are in law enforcement and authorized to carry, then carry off duty too, if you are a citizen and licensed to carry, then carry any time you can.

The Israeli's learned the hard way, do we have to pay the same price to learn the same lessons? If it can happen there it can happen here

In Joseph Ruffini's book When Terror Comes to Main St, he begs the question: "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?"

It is your choice what you do, but do remember:
"There are only two kinds of people once the bullets start flying, warriors and victims, those who fight and those who are unprepared, unable or unwilling to defend themselves. Which one are you?" Lt. Col. Dave Grossman