Homeland Security is everything we feared it would be.

[Skidmore]

I just keep reading articles about their methods and affronts to civil liberties. They are all about helping the administration to consolidate power and nothing about protecting any homeland. I am very angry with the people who put together this monstrosity and am just as angry with the Dems who couldn't find the cajones to stand up and oppose it. We had all the agencies in place to do the work. EXPECTING THEM TO DO THEIR JOBS and to fine tune the missions of those agencies was apparently something that could not be put forward. We went down without a peep from our legislators. I'm tired of the anthrax threat saw. Sometimes you just have to do what is right. I particpated in a referendum on form of government in Iran after the revolution because foreign wives were told that if there was no stamp indicating participation that we would not be allowed to return home for visits or any other reason. The choice on the ballot was Islamic Repulic --yes or no, and the ballots were color coded with red for no and green for yes. Not much of a choice. Well I participated because I felt compelled to but I still voted no. I had a guard with a machine gun chase me down and tell my husband that I had put in the wrong ballot. I told the man in Farsi that I had voted the way I wanted to please put my ballot back. He did. I'm sure that the ballot was removed later, but I stood my ground. My ex and I had a fight about it when we got home because I had "embarrassed" him. I told him the ballot was not a real choice, it was a forced choice. If I had to participate, I would vote my conscious. That Iran and just replaced one dictatorship with another.
I'd stood my ground with some risk. I could have been arrested and worse. That's what I expect those who purport to represent us to do.

[Missy M]

1. The problem with Homeland Security and affronts to our civil liberties

is so many Americans believe they are safer and are willing to give up some civil liberties for this. The bush administration has done quite a job since 9/11 in convincing and scaring the American people into a false sense of security with Homeland Security. Hopefully the tragedy in the Gulf Coast region will open their eyes to the complete ineptness of this department and back to the concept that our civil liberties are of the most importance.

[Skidmore]

2. But our representatives should have known better.

They had access to classified materials which the average citizen does not. Many of us could see this fraud for what it is. What is their excuse?

[Missy M]

3. I have asked the same question many times. I don't know what

their excuse is. I applaud you for the courageous stand you took in Iran.