Perhaps the first time I ever realized that I felt so alone in the way I think was during and after 9/11. I observed some people immediately suspicious of anyone Muslim, bearded, non-christian or in any way ethnic.
Suddenly we had a government agency called "Homeland Security" and a color system to tell us "threat levels".
I watched as the President and Congress began scrambling for a country to be attacked in revenge.
I began hearing racist commentary I was unaccustomed to.
Laws were being implemented or deregulated to add "security" to our Nation such as phone tapping, library book tracing, dramatic increases in border and airline searches and restrictions, frantic media interviews, etc., etc., etc...
While I realize we all needed to be more vigilant to the realization there are bad people in the world who will go to any length to harm others - I have steadfastly refused to be afraid. To do otherwise, in my opinion, is to surrender to the Osama bin Ladens of the world. They're terrorists. If I'm terrorized - they win. If we run around altering our liberties and freedoms the terrorists need not attack us again since we continue to run around in fear and they have altered our lives by altering our minds and hearts.
I've been called naive and stupid for this view. The only person I can find who might agree with me died in 1790 - "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin
