Cynthetiq

No this has nothing to do with the movie, The Marathon Man staring Dustin Hoffman. (if you haven't seen it, it's a great scene.)

I'd like to try to keep this thread from becoming a political diatribe or thread because I think that it's important to understand the post 9/11 world we live in.

In the past week we've seen some horrible things happening in Israel. Five suicide (for the PC people "homicide") bomber attacks in 48 hours. Israeli military and police have been vigilant in dealing with the terrorist. They have had a heavy hand in even destroying the homes that housed the terrorists. The Israelis live day to day knowing that this is a possiblity, but they do it. They go to work, the go to birthday parties, they go to malls.

It made me stop and think as I was walking through Penn Station, NYC this morning as I walked past the bomb sniffing dog and the accompanying National Guardsmen with their M16s.

Israel is not that big of a country. It's small potatoes compared in area to the USA. Are we that blind and egotistical to think that we can stop this? I know we can minimize it. But eradicate it completely??!?! The FBI just announced a

I'm about to move into NYC, not a far walk from Ground Zero. Had the towers been standing I would have had a view of them from my bedroom. I will not fret, I will not worry. I will do what I can to still live the life I have always lead.

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

denim

"Is it safe?" of course not!

Simple_Min

I agree. As long as there is freedom or the idea of freedom the system has to allow for certain amount of dissention. If we live in a Democratic society, we have to face the fact that we will have opposition to the norms.

Going on a mission to elimiate such behavior (witch hunts, the red scare, etc) have not done anything but scar the mission. Now, do not twist this around and suggest I support any of this violence. I am not. Nor am I saying we should expect this stuff. I think the government, the media and the people are asking the wrong kind of questions.

We visited NY in April of 2002 to catch the obvservation deck and also to visit the city. We spend most of our time in midtown and were happy, but as soon as we approached the lower island, the mood of the environment changed completly. It was very emotional. Needless to say I don't want to go back to lower manhatten until it is developed back to the impersonal, unemotional, economic zone that it used to be.

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If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

ARTelevision

For more years than I can remember - going back to some point in high school, I guess - I have lived each day with the conscious thought it may be my last.

I make a daily effort to remind myself of this and a few other items of simple truth.

I have always been curious if others are doing the same thing, or if they tend to be oblivious or in denial about it.

Perhaps the heightened state of potential cataclysm as a result of the current state of the world is bringing this type of thought to more folks' daily lives?

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create evolution

homerhop

There will always be those who will have such strong views that their politics, religion or lifestyle is far superior to yours and will do whatever they can to make sure it is their views that are enforced, regardless of what everyone else thinks.
Look around the world and the amount of "political" prisoners,exiles or anyone else who is pushed out because of their views. I have had to give full details on my whereabouts and how I went across Europe when I get stopped by customs in England for no other reason than I am Irish, on more than one occasion.
As you said its a dangerous world we live in, and regardless of what is happening we still have to get up and live our lives as best we can each and every day.

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its evolution baby

Cynthetiq

I do my best to try to be conscious of each moment minute to minute that it may be my last. Sometimes I'm distracted by "things" such as work, hardship, fun, happiness. But always laying in wait is the thought that I may just pass into the next realm.

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

Dragonlich

Is the world safe? No, it isn't.

However, if you look at the big picture, it's safer now than it has ever been. The odds of you getting killed by a terrorist are negligible, even if you're living in Israel! You're much more likely to die in a car crash, or from a simple accident in your own home, or from any of a number of common diseases.

Even if you take into account the possibility of some terrorist or rogue state using nukes (which might kill millions), you're still safer than ever. After all, in the olde days, you had to worry about the evil communists and their tens of thousands of nukes. Before that you had to worry about poison gas attacks by the evil Germans/Japanese. Before that there were the countless diseases and epidemics. (And before that, one had wolves, bears and other predators...)

The world has never been safe, nor will it be; learn to live with it. Where's your sense of adventure, man!

warrrreagl

It is not safe, there is not a damn thing you can do about it, and there is not a damn thing you can do to fix it.

Be young, be foolish, but be happy.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

Simple_Min

Watch out for SARS while you're at it!

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If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

rockogre

Life occurs, death accompanies life. I may die at any minute. My heart might lock up, a meteor may fall on me, lightning may strike, but:

I am not starving.
I am not being tortured.
I do not live in constant fear of my own government.
I don't have to worry about dying of several nasty diseases.
I have very low odds of being a victim of a bombing or other foreign planned violence.
I don't have to risk my life hunting for food or shelter.

Seems like a pretty safe world to me.

Simple_Min said "the mood of the environment changed completly." Downtown Oklahoma City is different at the memorial, reverent maybe, but quite and solemn. But it was an isolated event by 'ONE OF OUR OWN' in a great big world.

You can't let fear rule your life. And if you don't stand up to bullies, which is what these people really are, they won't stop but will only get worse.

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Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom

BBtB

Course the world is not safe. But its really not that dangerous either. I have no doubt that I will live to be an old man. Of course I will live my life like I will die tomorow. If for no other reason then I think I will acomplish alot more that way. As far as terrorist go, don't worry about it. Only worry about laws to stop terrorist.

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Meridae'n once played "death" at a game of chess that lasted for over two years. He finally beat death in a best 34 out of 67 match. At that time he could ask for any one thing and he could wish for the hope of all mankind... he looked death right in the eye and said ...

"I would like about three fiddy"

denim

In fact, I dare say that there's a pretty clear corelation between life and death. Life leads to death. BAN LIFE!!!

WhoaitsZ

it's weird for me.... a lot of times, every day i think 'I should be dead." and then a lot of days i simply think "I don't care".

sometimes I wish i knew how to feel. i guess, in this case, i'd actually like to be the sheep.
or worse... makes our senses duller. we survived 9-11 and frankly most of the country got an ego boost if nothing else. a false sense of security.

i mean at first, we were petrified... then, this warning, then that warning. this could happen...... no that could happen... lets go to 'Orange'...

i swear our governmant are going to drive me completely insane. i feel lost and out of control... i feel democracy is going byebye. i am affraid.. not of muslims with really bad facial hair, but of old white dudes who give two shits about us anymore.

i'm simply petrified. of our own people.. this is fucked up.

i'm gonna shut up now... sorry i rambled off course... i am truly worried.

BBtB

I am not all that afraid. YET. But you defintly hit what we REALLY should be afraid of.

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Meridae'n once played "death" at a game of chess that lasted for over two years. He finally beat death in a best 34 out of 67 match. At that time he could ask for any one thing and he could wish for the hope of all mankind... he looked death right in the eye and said ...

"I would like about three fiddy"

XenuHubbard

No need to worry about anything. Either

TAKE PRECAUTIONS

or

FORGET ABOUT IT.

If you sit and worry, you're just wasting your own time. If you can do something to avoid whatever disaster's on your radar, DO IT. Otherwise, go to the pub, or read a book, or play GTA3 or something. If it's out of your hands, there is no point whatsoever worrying about it.

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The above was written by a true prophet. Trust me.

"What doesn't kill you, makes you bitter and paranoid". - SB2000

BBtB

I have not seen marathon man but everytime I read this I DO think of the lord of the rings. "Is it secret? Is it safe?" I know. I am just a big nerd.

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Meridae'n once played "death" at a game of chess that lasted for over two years. He finally beat death in a best 34 out of 67 match. At that time he could ask for any one thing and he could wish for the hope of all mankind... he looked death right in the eye and said ...

"I would like about three fiddy"

nine

You just get on with it. In terms of safety most people registeed on TFP4 are a lot safer than the rest of world.

BBC just announced that 50 people were horribly mutilated and butchered in the Congo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3042983.stm

In the UK things have actually improved in recent times. Hopefully the peace process in Northern Ireland will continue and end successfully for all and the following type of events won't happen in England anymore

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1201738.stm

Charlatan

That was what came to mind for me as well (although Marathon Man is a kick ass movie)...

Is it safe? Has it ever been safe?

There is nothing you can do about when you are going to die. If terrorist are going to take you out it is really out of your hands (as are most causes of death for that matter).

You can either live your life in fear or you can live without... Personally I choose to live without fear 'cause fear will kill you (all that stress can't be good)...

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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

Lebell

Safety is an illusion.

The world never was and never will be a safe place. There have always been forces poised to obliterate us, unfortunately now some are human.

As Agent K said, "The only way people get on with their happy lives is that they do not KNOW ABOUT THEM!"

In more kitch terms, live every day like it may be your last day.

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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

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Liquor Dealer

It isn't safe anywhere. There are varying degrees of risk involved in each and everything we do. They were talking about people not flying on the news this morning. People are not flying because it "isn't safe anymore"! The most danger involved in any flight is the ride to the airport. We are doing exactly what the terrorists wanted us to. In this they have succeeded.

"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

FDR

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Life isn't always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it's more like a jar of Jalapenos --- what you say or do today might burn your ass tomorrow!!!

WhoaitsZ

being worried about getting butchered in the congo is like worryign over a shark attack.

stay out of the water and stay out of the congo.

meembo

Like ART, I remember as a teenager when Reagan was president and really believing the end could really be just hours away

On the other hand, we live way longer than our folks did 4 generations ago. Is it safer to die of influenza? Seventy MILLION people died of the flu in 1918-1919, and the deaths were miserable and painful.

Life isn't safe or fair or easy or just. It can be very good, though, with the right combination of distractions from the bad stuff.

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less I say, smarter I am

Frowning Budah

It never was safe. We just like to delude ourselves into thinking we have some control over everything. 9/11 kind of came as a shock to our collective system and we have been doing everything we can to try and regain that false sense of control.