December 12, 2006
Too Close To Home
I'm a little late on chiming in about about the latest plot-o-terror that was thwarted this past Friday, but that is not going to stop me from putting my .02 cents in.
I was sitting at the gate at O'Hare waiting for my plane when I happened to glance up at the television. They usually have it on CNN and this was no exception. I can't hear what they are sayin' but the headline read "Plot to blow up malls in Chicago area thwarted" or something to that extent.
It certainly got my attention. My mind started going through the malls, and I realized the Woodfield Mall was very likely one of the targets - especially if it was Chicago Land.
The Woodfield Mall?? Oh Hell No. That's where my Tall Girl Shop is. Those bastards blow up my Tall Girl Shop and I'll be at boot camp quicker than you can say Sorry Sucker and doin' me some huntin'. I just found that damned store.
Later that evening I was clickin' through the blogosphere and saw Contagion's post on the event. THAT was when I realized it wasn't CHICAGO. It was ROCKFORD. It was MY MALL!!
The mall that is within a 30 minute drive to The Belfry. The mall where my delightful hairdresser works. The only decent shopping within an hour of home.
F*ck That!!!
Later in the weekend I saw where Harvey linked to more information about what happened and why. Yes the guy was a nut case, an idiot some would say. But he was determined. He had a plan and the weapons to pull it off.
But....and THIS is what sincerely pissed me off the most....they kept saying Chicago. I was in Arkansas and all the coverage I found said Chicago Land.
But it was Rockford. Just a city like any other city in America. It could have been South Bend. It could have been Tulsa. It could have been ANY CITY.
But the media continues to give us the impression that the only danger in this country from terrorism is in the big cities. That is ABSOLUTELY wrong. And we need to remember that.
The enemy is in our home. He's not just sittin' at the dinning room table or in the living room waiting for us. He's hiding in the closets, he's in the back storage room in the basement. It's too late to lock the door - he's already here. And I don't know about you, but I'm not leaving so he can have the house. This is MY HOME and No ONE will make me afraid to be here.
The entire point I'm trying to make is we ALL need to be vigilant. Not vigilanties but vigilant. And don't assume it'll never happen in your town. They're here. They're focused. They're determined to kill us. So just be aware of what's going on around you.
Posted by Tammi at December 12, 2006 05:57 AM | TrackBackIt is a pet peeve of mine that our whole state is associated with Chicago. Blech!! I had never even been Downtown until two years ago when my Princess wanted to Christmas shop. I always try to convey to folks that there's Chicago, and then there's the rest of the state.
I think we're heading to Cherryvale after work tonight. It will be interesting to see if they have made any changes.
I moved from Texas to New York. Every one of my co-workers at the time asked, "Why would you move to New York City?", even though I had stated the name of the small quaint little village that I was moving to. It is in the middle of the state of N.Y. No one seems to think that N.Y. is a state. Apparently New York City IS the state of N.Y.
Who knew?!
And yes, Tammi, I so wish that folks would understand that if the terroristas were to hit a small city/town, they would do just as much damage to the infrastucture/structures/lives lost, as they did when they hit on 9/11. Especially if a few are hit at the same time! Geeze.
Really makes me wonder why folks in smaller towns/cities think they are safe?!
Posted by: imp at December 12, 2006 03:21 PMI know, they really irked me... but then again Cherryvale is in Cherry Valley. :)
Posted by: Contagion at December 12, 2006 07:39 PMTammi,
Who knew that the Rockford area was a breeding ground for dangerous characters? Except for T1G. Word was already out about him. Maybe that's why he went to Florida to hide out.
I have the same problem. Everyone who lives elsewhere thinks CA is just Hollywood, Disneyland, and the beach.
Posted by: caltechgirl at December 13, 2006 12:44 AM