Liberalguy

Time-Saving Advice for Terrorists!
By Mike Long (bio)

Hey, al-qaeda! Mike Long here. Next time you want to create a distraction–say, shut down the traffic going into or out of a city, lock thousands of people in a small area, or just create a threat to public safety without spending one thin dime–try this!

Seems a fellow out in California climbed onto an overpass today and started waving a gun. The police shut down the highway underneath in both directions for three hours until the gun-waver decided he’d had enough and let the police take him. (We had the same thing here in DC a few months after 9/11, and the chief of police of DC allowed someone to shut down the main artery into and out of the city for two days. Easy, huh?!) Of course, you and I know that the real way to keep people safe is to to tell the guy to give up or he’s gonna take a bullet in the leg (or worse), then tote him off and charge him–it’s not right to shut down the infrastructure for everybody else, at least not for hours or days. That’s common sense. But the milquetoast system here in the US (well, at least in Califorinia and DC) regularly elevates the rights of a violent nut over the safety of a city. That’s how it works.

So, al-qaeda, next time you want to block off, say, DC or Santa Monica to drive up the body count for some of that mischief you do, dispatch a nut to block the roadway exits. Those in charge of the police will be glad to support you in your efforts.