I watched a great ireport wherein the question is posed why it is that the guy who killed a security guard at the Holocaust Museum and the the guy who shot the abortion doctor recently weren’t on a terrorist watch list since they had both committed similar acts in the past. It seems like we’ll send in the marines if the terrorists are muslim, but when they’re old white guys we don’t care?
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“What sets us apart from our enemies in this fight… is how we behave. In everything we do, we must observe the standards and values that dictate that we treat noncombatants and detainees with dignity and respect. While we are warriors, we are also all human beings”

— General David Petraeus, May 10, 2007
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The recent release of CIA memos detailing the harsh interrogation methods authorized by the Bush administration has brought forward a seemingly unending stream of formerly influential mucky-mucks to decry the release as a terrible move that will make the US less safe. I’m not surprised by their attitude at all – if the public were to find out about all the terrible things that were done in their name, they might actually start calling to prosecute some of these criminals. How dare I say such things?
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I kept hearing the word ‘sureal’, and I suppose that pretty much sums it up. I had been in one of the twin towers and looked out over the city. The thought of a terrorist attack wasn’t much in the public consciousness then, although there had been a (failed) attack on the building in 1993 and I’m not too sure about the date, but I believe a madman with an axe was running rampant in the observation deck around that time as well. It was pretty ‘sureal’ then, when word came at work that a plane had crashed into the building. I was in a sales meeting with Toh, Peggy, Mike Leek and Deven when we heard about it. Jack’s satellite TV, so much an un-nessessary excess at the time, certainly came in handy. Then there was word of other tragedies. The pentagon (not a tragedy, really?), a downed plane in PA, camp david, rumours of an attack on the state dept (later found to be false?). The horror of those poor souls on board the fated flights. Just when you thought, “well, thats it, now to deal with it”, another shock would come. The United States was not supposed to be susceptible to terror like this. I fear now that this may force us into a war that no-one really wants but that we’ll have to support just the same. I fear for my friends that may be missing in the rubble of those massive towers of steel (and coworkers like Joe Beltrani who may be among the missing 200 firefighters). I fear for Emily.