I was on I-5 heading north to a Skagit fisheries meeting when the music on the radio was interrupted by the first report. The bio riding with me and I, like some others mentioned, thought that some poor soul had accidentally crashed his light plane, like a Cessna or something, into the tower. While sympathizing about this imagined loss, the two radio guys announced the second, and our impressions instantly changed - it was an act of terrorism, and the US was under attack. We drove on, and attended our meeting, but it all seemed rather unimportant under the circumstances. My oldest daughter was riding her bike to work, crossing the - I forget the name bridge - when the 3rd airliner hit the Pentagon. She too thought it was a horrendous accident until she got to her office and learned it was an attack.

America changed all right. At first it seemed like it was going to be for the good as people pulled together and a strong sense of nationalism emerged. But it soon went south, as Americans opted to give up some liberty in exchange for a sense - false tho it be - of greater security. Homeland Security - making sure small private boats don't drive too close to a ferry but allowing over 99% of all containers imported into the country to go uninspected, TSA - biggest joke ever perpetrated on the Land of the Free - no American will ever again be compliant with a hijacking attempt, Patriot Act, more Customs agents clogging up border crossings catching a few drug runners but no terrorists, and fear - a major tool used by the Administration to propel its political agenda. America could have done it so well, and instead, except for the first responders to the attacks, I feel like we botched it. The terrorists won. Our economy took a hit. Transportation took a hit. And most significantly, American freedom took a hit. They won because Americans changed how we live and behave. We line up like animals at the airport in the futile belief that our journey is going to be safer by giving up freedom. (Like terrorists would try the same technique again.) It's the antithesis of individual freedom that America stood for. I don't like it because every time I do it, it reinforces my belief that the terrorist bastards won. And after not finding, killing, or verifying killing bin Laden, GB said he didn't think about bin Laden any more. When leadership is idiotic, it's hard to bring out the best in a country, but I didn't mean to get political.

Sg