Story One!

Akmad al Sadiki slowly and deliberately climbed the steps leading to the Federal Building in Dallas, Texas. He had planned for this moment for years...ever since his first training session in southern Pakistan. Even as a small boy in Iraq he'd been told that someday he would bring great honor to Allah by destroying the cursed infidel. And now, the day had at last arrived!

This day of days had begun long before the sun rose over the eastern horizon. By the appearance of the first golden rays he was up, saying his morning prayers, and emotionally getting ready for the most important day of his life. In his younger years, he had hoped that his contribution would be in the form of a suicide mission, but it was not to be. Recently the cell leaders had decided that the most effective technique called for remote detonation of explosive devices. In that way, one warrior could be many times more destructive, bringing terror to much larger numbers of infidels. And, even though there would be more honor for him in a suicide mission, he harbored a secret pleasure in the fact that he would be able to witness the mayhem he would cause. And, there was Judy, the young lady from work he had been drawn to. Even though she was a westerner, she had been quick to embrace Islam, if only to please him. He had been very careful to not give her any indications of his real reason for being in the United States. As far as she was concerned, he had attended the University of Texas at Arlington, and was now working as a marketing consultant. Even though she had been very quick to receive not only his religion, but what he told her of the lifestyle of the average Islamic family, he felt sure she would never accept the violent side of his worldview.

As he reached the top of the stairway, he took a quick look around to make sure there was no indication that any person was paying undue attention to his actions. All seemed to be clear! There were a few people walking toward their various destinations in usual western fashion...heads down as though watching their feet, and totally unaware of anything taking place around them. As he approached the big double doors, they opened automatically, exposing the massive ground floor. He glanced quickly toward the security booths leading into the federal office areas. Behind them lurked the hated FBI. He needed to avoid them at all costs. A wave of excitement swept over him as he imagined their torn and dismembered bodies that would soon be scattered over the ruins of this monument to western cruelty.

His target was one of the elevators leading down to the underground parking area. There he would find a number of support pillars. There had been brothers in his cell, engineers, who had scouted this area out. They had determined which support would cause the most damage once collapsed. It was that one support that was his target.

As he walked across the floor toward the elevators, he once again glanced around. He spotted an elderly lady who had entered the area from the doorway leading down a flight of stairs to the parking garage. As she made her way toward one of the four elevators, she glanced in his direction. Did he see her take a second look No, she continued toward her target. For a moment his heart seemed to skip a beat as he wandered if he had somehow raised a red flag in her mind. She entered the elevator, and the doors closed.

In his right hand he carried a rather benign looking brief case. Inside was a cleverly designed bomb, consisting of enough C4 to bring down the support, compete with the detonator and cell phone receiver.

Rather than take the elevator to the lower parking area, he decided to take the two flights of stairs. That would take him to his target. For some reason he felt a touch of dread at getting into the enclosed elevator car, especially with the women that had noticed him..

Arriving at the bottom step, he stepped off into the parking garage. He was rather surprised at how few cars were parked there. He was a bit ahead of the 900 planned time for his arrival on site. He pulled a small scrap of paper out of his pocket. On it was a diagram of the various columns. On was marked with an X. This was the primary support column...the one the engineers claimed would bring down the entire building.

He quickly placed the brief case between the column and the guard rail that ran along the first level of parking spaces. If all went as planned, and if the experts were right, the device being detonated at that point should cause the total collapse of the building.

He felt a deep sense of relief, as well as a rush of adrenaline, as he placed the brief case in its spot, and then quickly started his exit back to the street. Rather than park his car in the underground garage, he had parked in the short term parking in front of the building. That way, he could make a quick exit. He would then get into his car, and drive to a predetermined location some two blocks away. Once there, he would meet up with another member of his team, where the device would be detonated using his cell phone.

As he reached his car, and opened the door, he was suddenly and violently slammed to the ground, his right hand (holding his cell phone) was twisted into the small of his back, and then up between his shoulder blades. He screamed in pain as his shoulder joint was ripped apart, and the cell phone was torn from his hand. In utter shock and confusion, he could only sink into blackness as he lost all awareness of his existence.

Story Two!

Maude had worked at the Dallas Federal Building for some 22 years. She had started as a clerk typist in the U.S. Marshall's office fresh out of college. Over the years she had worked her way up to a manager's position in that office.

Following the attacks of 9-11, she had become actively involved in community service, especially community security (crime watch). As part of the training, the head of the watch in her community had invited Dr. Ralph Turner to hold classes in threat awareness. In these classes, two areas had really impacted her. First of all, how to live life at a heightened awareness of her surroundings. The other, how to recognize possible terrorist activities and what to do should she spot anything that appeared in any way suspicious. She had even registered online with Homeland Security, and received regular updates on activities of suspected terrorist activity, and how to prepare for an attack in case one occurred. She had followed many of the suggestions, and had stored extra food, water, and had an effective survival kit just in case.

As she arrived at work that morning, she did her usual scan of the area, just to make herself aware of any action that may be out of the norm. She had been practicing living in this heightened level of awareness for some time now, and it had become commonplace. She never got out of her car at Wal-Mart without scanning the area around her for something unusual. There had been one occasion where there was a suspicious character walking around looking inside parked cars. She had made a mental note of his appearance, and then had reported it to the manager once inside. As it turned out, he was wanted on drug changes, and was a person of interest on multiple auto break-ins on parking lots and homes in that area.

As she approached the steps leading into the huge main lobby of the federal building, she noticed a person walking ahead of her, carrying a briefcase. What caught her attention was his general appearance. Although people who were coming and going to the various federal offices often dressed in unusual clothing, it was too early for those types to begin showing up. And, as she drew closer, she noticed that he seemed to fit the profile she had been given for those who had been known to be involved in terrorist activity. He seemed to be between his late twenties and about thirty. He was obviously of some sort of Middle Eastern descent, and he looked very nervous.

Not wanting to attract undue attention, she continued on toward the elevator leading to the fourth floor and her office. Once he hesitated, then turned and looked at her. She only smiled, and then continued on.

In front of her were the three elevator doors. She generally took the one on the left, as it seems a bit faster than the other two. Probably just her imagination. The young middle eastern man seemed to be headed for the set of elevator doors on the far right. Today, she would alter her direction and take the same one...just to see. As she redirected her route, he turned slightly to the right and looked directed into her eyes. This action took her be surprise, and she wandered if he had noticed her startled response. She continued! But suddenly, the man turned sharply to his right, and headed for the stairway that led to the underground parking garage. Maude continued toward the elevator door, uncertain as to what to do. As she at the door, she instinctively reached for the up button. Almost as an unplanned action, she instead pushed the down button. As the door opened, she stepped inside. Even now, she was unsure! If she rode the car to the next level down, the underground parking garage, what would she do. This time of morning the area would be almost deserted...few cars or people. What if he was a terrorist Would he spot her and be waiting in that lonely area Still, her drive to know overpowered her caution. She pushed the down button on the inside of the car. The doors closed, and she felt the car move downward. In all too short a time, the car bumped to a stop at the bottom of the elevator shaft, and the doors opened to reveal the parking area. As she had surmised, it was largely deserted. Instead of just stepping out of the car, she pushed to door hold button that would make the door stay open. Slowly she peered around the opening. To the right were the stairs leading back up to the main floor. This was the stairway where she had last seen the man. Nothing! At least not at first. Then she saw him. He was just raching the top of the stairway, and disappearing into the lobby area. And...she noticed that he no longer had the briefcase hanging at his side. Where had he left it Maybe in his car No! There were no cars parked that close.

She slowly moved out of the elevator, and to the right, and into the parking area. Where could he have left it She saw nothing but the empty parking slots, and the massive concrete columns holding the entire structure up. Slowly she moved into the massive area. Peering slowly in all directions, she suddenly saw it. It would have been easy to miss, but there it was, resting tight up against what seemed to be the largest column in the area.

Quickly she drew her cell phone out of her pocket. The screen indicated no signal. Of course, she was underground with all the steel overhead. She scanned the area. She did not want to take the time to climb the stairs, or ride the slow elevator back to the lobby so she could make her report. There may not be enough time. There! Hanging on the wall next to the fire alarm box was a security phone. It was connected directed to the main security desk. Quickly she yanked the phone off its cradle. A voice on the other end sounded authoritative. Quickly she identified herself and explained what she had experienced. From her rapid description of the man, the security officer was able to quickly spot him exiting thorough the front door. He ordered Maude to stay on the phone while he alerted the always ready swat team. Then he told Maude to replace the receiver, and come back up the stairs. She was then to cross the lobby and come directly to the security main desk.

Since Akmad had parked in the 15 minute limit parking area in front of the building, instead of the parking garage, and since the security desk was just inside the front door, she was able to him as he approached his car. Even as he reached for the door handle, she saw four of the elite security officers assigned to protect the Federal Building descend on the man like buzzards around road kill. He was slammed to the ground, and then handcuffed.

In no time flat the building was evacuated, and surrounded by law enforcement. The bomb squad arrived, located the briefcase, and discovered a very active bomb inside.

Point is...Maude's vigilance, and determination to not shrug off something that looked suspicious saved several hundred lives.

And that, my friend, is the best protection we have against another terrorist attack.

A Living Example!

The tragic events of Thursday, November 5 offer an excellent example of what's being discussed above, and what can be the results when it doesn't work out. Involved were several examples of alert citizens, coworkers, friends and family noticing things about Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's actions that were, to say the least, suspicious. They offer an example of what happens when people notice strange behavior, and either fail to report it, or report their suspicions to authorities who shrug the info off (a response more common than not).

According to reports, for months leading to the shooting spree that left 13 dead and 29 wounded, Hasan had raised eyebrows with comments and behaviors that should have alerted any concerned listener that things were not right with the Major. Such statements that the war on terror was a war on Islam, coming from a confessed Moslem, should have created concern. Especially if that person is a member of the armed forces of the United States. Even some of his co-workers stated that He at least should have been confronted about these beliefs, told to cease and desist, and to shape up or ship out.

Now, after the fact, it's becoming clear that he had ties to radical Islamic factions, and that the FBI knew it. Actually, he was under investigation. Facts are now coming to light concerning Hasan's contact with terrorist groups. If these things are known now, after the shootings, it stands to reason that many of them were in plain sight BEFORE the attack. In other words, if those around him had been more vigilant before, and had followed common sense by reporting his unacceptable actions to the proper persons, this horror just might have been adverted. However, we now know that many did, indeed, report his radical behavior to certain persons, but they either ignored them, or felt they were unreliable. However, (and this is vital for our discussion) how many refused to take any action based on this damnable doctrine of political correctness. In other words, they refused to act on reports because they feared violating this terrorist's rights in some way. Or, they might offend someone in the Islamic community.

Political Correctness!

What is this thing called Political Correctness that has so handcuffed law enforcement in their efforts to protect this nation from more terrorist activities It is my belief that, if early Americans believed in political correctness the way many do now, we'd still be subjects bound to the British crown. Thank goodness some liberal jerk hadn't thought up the political correctness concept just before the shot that was heard around the world was fired.

Allow me to give a few more examples.

In his book, The End of Sanity, Martin Gross writes that blatantly irrational behavior is rapidly being established as the norm in almost every area of human endeavor. There seem to be new customs, new rules, new anti-intellectual theories regularly foisted on us from every direction. Underneath, the nation is roiling. Americans know something without a name is undermining the nation, turning the mind mushy when it comes to separating truth from falsehood and right from wrong. And they don't like it. We now know that name! It is called political correctness.

At Antioch college in Ohio, young men seeking intimacy with a coed must get verbal permission at each step of the process from kissing to petting to final copulation... all clearly spelled out in a printed college directive (if you could program a robot to make love, that might be how it would be done).

In New Jersey, despite the death of several patients nationwide who had been infected by dentists who had concealed their AIDs --- the state commission announced that health providers who are HIV-positive need not tell their patients that they are infected.

At William and Mary, students tried to change the name of the school team The Tribe because it was supposedly insulting to local Indians, only to learn that authentic Virginia chiefs truly like the name.

In San Francisco, city fathers passed an ordinance protecting the rights of transvestites to cross-dress on the job, and for transsexuals to have separate toilet facilities while undergoing sex change surgery.

In New York City, kids who don't speak a word of Spanish have been placed in bilingual classes to learn their three R's in Spanish solely because their last names sound Hispanic.

One example I read sort of told it all. David Howard, head of the Washington D.C. Office of Public Advocate, used the word niggardly while talking to colleagues about budgetary matters. Of course, niggardly means stingy or scanty. But within days Howard was forced to publicly apologize and resign. As columnist Tony Snow wrote David Howard got fired because some people in public employ were morons who (a) didn't know the meaning of niggardly,(b) didn't know how to use a dictionary to discover the meaning, and (c) actually demanded that he apologize for their ignorance.

It seems that, in so many cases, those who make certain demands that we stay within the so-called political correct bounds do so out of nothing more than stupidity.

Charleston Heston stated in an address to students; What does all of this mean It means that telling us what to think has evolved into telling us what to say , so telling us what to do can't be far behind. Before you claim to be a champion of free thought, tell me Why did political correctness originate on America's campuses And why do you continue to tolerate it Why do you, who're supposed to debate ideas, surrender to their suppression Let's be honest. Who here thinks your professors can say what they really believe It scares me to death, and should scare you too, that the superstition of political correctness rules the halls of reason. You are the best and the rightist. You, here in the fertile cradle of American academia, here in the castle of learning on the Charles River, you are the cream. But I submit that you, and your counterparts across the land, are the most socially conformed and politically silenced generation since Concord Bridge. And as long as you validate that and abide it... you are - by your grandfathers' standards - cowards.

Here's another example. Right now at more than one major university, Second Amendment scholars and researchers are being told to shut up about their findings or they'll lose their jobs. Why Because their research findings would undermine big-city mayor's pending lawsuits that seek to extort hundreds of millions of dollars from firearm manufacturers. I don't care what you think about guns. But if you are not shocked at that, I am shocked at you. Who will guard the raw material of unfettered ideas, if not you

If we are not careful, this thing called political correctness is going to take our country right down to third world status. We can no longer properly defend our nation from nut case radicals because we may in some way offend their tender feelings. Law Enforcement can no longer investigate some person who fits the profile of a criminal, terrorist, or whatever because to do so would not be political correct.

In closing, may I ask you to consider what is possibly the most accurate definition of political correctness I have ever heard. Simply put, political correctness is a way that someone claimed a t__d could be picked up by the clean end. If you can figure out how to do that, you most likely politically correct.

In a follow-up article I will discuss the issues now present in our country that DEMAND heavier handed government action just to keep our status of FREEDOM WITHOUT CHAOS intact, how political correctness threatens to force us into the stone age, and how you, as a citizen, can help turn this tide around.

Thomas Wolfhunter Turner

During my past 50 years of Law Enforcement, College, Teaching, and all the other things I have witnessed, I have seen our nation's ability to protect itself fade away. Much of it is due to this thing called political correctness. We cannot even closely observe those who present a picture of evil. We might ruffle their tender feathers. They may whine that we are not being sensitive to their feelings. So, they keep on committing crimes against us and our nation, and those who should be protecting us are more concerned about their rights than about the rights of the victims. If this does not stop, we are sure to fade away into the night, destroyed by own stupidity.