It's great that they closed
It's great that they closed the Brooklyn Bridge for an hour. I want more instances of visible security.
But I have to say, Mayor Mike Bloomberg sounds utterly clueless. When asked about how New York could prepare for terrorist attacks, on a daily basis or during large public events, he said the following:
"The world is a dangerous place, unfortunately. I see no reason why people shouldn't go out and enjoy Fleet Week and get around. The more people that are out, the safer the city will be. There are always threats, unfortunately. Fortunately, most of them are hoaxes."
Would someone like to explain to me how larger public gatherings make the city safer? Does a suicide bomber say, "Oh! There are far too many people outside. I'd better wait until the crowds diminish."?
They want big crowds, Mayor Dolt! Perhaps knowing that you have a helicopter waiting to convey you to your private jet and can be out of the city in fifteen minutes flat makes you less concerned about incipient destruction.
Maybe I'll feel better about this once I get out of the city, a plan that is in the works. My perspective is doubtless heavily informed by a) my proximity to very large buildings falling down, b) my continued proximity to where those very large buildings fell down, and c) living in a city that is second only to Washington D.C. as a candidate for the euphemistic 'nuclear event' that will happen sooner or later. Perhaps the rest of the country, having digested the televised Bruckheimer media spectacular that was shown repeatedly on 9/11, has moved on and is wondering what all the continued fuss is about, really. I don't know; I'm not in the rest of the country and won't be for some time.
Until then, I will continue to indulge in my wake up! harrangue, thank you very much. Tom Friedman can kiss my unreasonable ass.
