It doesn’t take much for me to get on my soap box and start giving my opinion.
The world has become a more dangerous place since Sept. 11, 2001. The terror threat is there and will always be there. That threat will exist because of the type of society we have. We have freedom of movement and we invite people to come to our country. The only way we can ever stop the threat of terrorism is to close our borders and throw out all illegal immigrants.
It reminds me of the movie “Stripes.”
Bill Murray said, “America is the mutt of the world. We are the castoffs of every legitimate country in the world.”
You have to admit that is basically what we are all about. “Give us your tired, your poor” is on the Statue of Liberty. That is what America is all about.
With the Tyrone School Board of Directors voting not to approve the trip to New York City, I believe it made a mistake. Terrorism is about scaring people.
When you give in to the terrorists, they win. Denying a trip to these students who raised the money for the trip themselves is giving in to the terrorists.
In a city with more than eight million people, what are the chances that these 38 kids would be hurt or injured in a terrorist attack? Probably the same as getting in a train accident if they took a train to Albany or the same as all 38 being in a car accident while driving different cars at the same time.
When Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrow Building in Oklahoma City, that piece of land became a tribute to the people who were lost. The same has held true with the site of the twin towers. If the threat of terrorism is reason to not allow these students to take a trip to New York, the school board acted irresponsibly by allowing the cast of the last play to go to the Big Apple. There was a terrorist attack in 1993 at the same spot.
I guess the new policy of the Tyrone School Board is that if there is a chance of a terrorist attack, there is no chance of a field trip.
The question was brought to the board by member Becky Emenhiser about the ski trip to Vermont, that wasn’t recommended by the administration, but was approved by the board. The answer Emenhiser was given was Vermont isn’t a terror threat.
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is made in Vermont. What if a terrorist worked there and poisoned the ice cream and the kids who visited there got sick? What if there was a problem with the ski lift? There is a risk crossing the street. The way people do U turns on Pennsylvania Avenue, there is more of a risk crossing the street in Tyrone than going to see a play and the sites of New York City.
I guess the school crossing guards will never be allowed to go to our nation’s capital ever again. The trip we took to Washington DC in 8th grade was my only trip inside the capital. That is a life experience that these kids will miss out on because the school board is afraid.
I am happy that the school board is concerned about the safety of our students. What they seem to forget is when it is time to be called by God, no matter what the school board does in the safety interests of the students, the call will be answered.
I served in Operation Desert Storm and the access that the media had in that war was nothing compared to what we are watching now. It was amazing to watch Greg Kelly of Fox News ride into Baghdad on Friday night/Saturday morning. It was something to see our troops go into Saddam’s palace this morning on live television.
In the first Gulf War, the media knew what the military wanted them to know. The access that is there now is amazing.
Of the reporters I watched on the many networks, I was most impressed with David Bloom. The way he doctored up his vehicle to give his live satellite reports was awesome. It’s hard to believe that he is gone.
I was presented an opportunity to travel to Kuwait last month. Before the trip could get organized, the war was underway and the trip was called off. I was looking forward to seeing the troops as they prepared to battle to liberate Iraq. Unfortunately the trip didn’t happen.
God bless our troops that are serving in harms way. I respect, but disagree with the decision of the school board, and may the family of David Bloom be comforted.
Enjoy your week and keep the shovels out. Who knows when the snow will end.
