9/11 DID do it, and you just posted the results. The first attempt I made to go to the airport at FLL resulted in my being stopped by armed soldiers, not LEOs. I and my passengers had to get out of the car, and it was searched, including the glove box and the trunk. Mirrors were slid under the car to check for bombs.
Port Everglades, which is a major cruise port, got locked down. People like myself used to use it as a short-cut from US1 to the beach - now the entrance is manned by - you guessed it - military. Want to get past them? Good luck. The port is now closed, with one entrance that goes directly to the cruise ships. A popular restaurant in the port overlooking the Intracoastal had to close because there was now no access.
And you mentioned the Patriot Act. Have you ever studied the Patriot Act? Real patriots have been trying to have that repealed ever since it was enacted. Do you know the powers that it gives to the federal government? Would you like to find out?
9/11 was a wake-up call, and we have been extremely lucky that there hasn't been a real follow-up since. But we have surrendered a lot of our freedoms as it is because of that attack, and after the next one, we probably won't have any more. Doesn't the possibility of scrapping the Constitution scare you in the least? I sure as hell scares me, and it is NOT impossible under the circumstances we are facing today.
Should terrorists ever get their hands on a functioning nuclear device and use it to destroy a major U.S. city, you better believe change will come. You think 9/11 resulted in some restrictions just wait. Will the military be used to stop riots and "restore order"? Most definitely.
+1 gpbarth and ronwill. The stage has been set.
By faith Noah,being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,prepared an ark to the saving of his house;by the which he condemned the world,and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith Heb.11:7
9/11 did indeed trigger something, but not IT. Are we still not free to criticize the government if we choose? Are Muslims still not free to worship in Mosques without fear that the government will step in and shut them down? While 9/11 did indeed change some things, most Americans are able to do all the things they were able to do prior to the attacks.
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
Benjamin Franklin
Yeah, except travel with ease, walk into a courthouse or an airport with a fingernail file in your pocket, go watch the ball drop in Times Square with a backpack or a couple of beers, buy a few bags of fertilizer without a background check... Shall I continue? Read the Patriot Act. Of course, if you don't do anything but pick your butt, you wouldn't know about all of the freedoms we have ALREADY lost as a result of 9/11. And after the next attack, what do you think will happen? What are you going to do when martial law is declared, and you cannot leave your house after 6 PM due to the curfew? When you need permission to buy gasoline
And because we're so damned PC, Muslims can wear a burkah during a driver's license photo shoot, but Christians can be arrested on a public sidewalk for hate speech for quoting the Bible.
You seem to think that this country could never go 'postal' at some point, and I'm telling you that it is a very real possibility. Do not discount it, or you will be unprepared for the future.
Because it has not happened real fast as in over night I am afraid many do not see what is happening. As I have said before, like the frog in water. It is true that we have more freedom than most other nations. It is also true that we by no means are as free as we once were.
By faith Noah,being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,prepared an ark to the saving of his house;by the which he condemned the world,and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith Heb.11:7
Iraq is a laboratory for CONUS.
Better to perish in the struggle for freedom than live to see defeat. There ARE things to be feared more than death. The fyrd is a Constitutional imperative.
Unfortunately , I agree the trend is no longer just a vision of a bunch of loony paranoid OCD rednecks. The current administration is actively pushing too hard against the will of a free people. As to my own reality, everything I have and receive comes directly from the federal government. If they decide to cut me off I’m screwed. If they decide to impose marshal law, we may all be screwed. Personally, I’m already considering an exit plan if things really do go belly up. Damn, I can’t believe I actually typed these words and worst yet; I have a somewhat fearful belief that it could actually come to pass ~
I also have no doubt that my post and personal data may well end up on some big-brother watch list. In this case, I hope that my grammar and spelling is correct.
Regards,
“Monsters are real and so are ghosts. They live inside of us, and sometimes they win.”
~ Stephen King
Right, this administration has moved very fast. And they're telling us that we'll get used to healthcare and soon we'll love it. Sounds like a rapist telling his victim "you'll be begging for me not to pull out in a minute".
Avidshooter (Texas)
"The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits." -- Plutarch