Effective Terrorism

Start by reading this. We suddenly live in a world where people are in mortal fear of dusty bathrooms and powdered doughnuts. A world where a person can be fired over talking about a change to fire drill procedures (that'd be me) or arrested over idle threats. Is that a "free country"? It doesn't seem that far removed from this other place I've heard of where I man can be jailed if his beard is too short...

Time for a reality check. So far 0.00001% of North Americans have contracted Anthrax, and not a one in Canada. What percentage have terminal cancer? What percentage have AIDS? What percentage are shot by other Americans or run down by cars? What happened to last month's feature bacterium, E. Coli? I, and you, are more likely to be killed whilst being mugged by an impovershed crack addict looking for quick cash for that next pathetic attempt to avoid the misery of their own life than be killed by dust in a McDonald's bathroom or an airplane crashing - intentionally or otherwise (even if you happen to work in the Sears Tower or the Empire State Building). We are even *more* likely to live to be 85. I'll be in New York in a few days. I plan to take pictures from the observation deck of the Empire State Building, then I think I will go have a coffee and a powdered doughnut.

Ladies and gentlemen, and I kid you not, I have begun seriously considering moving to New Zealand. Not out of fear, but because I have always said that's where I would go if things here got too stupid. I quote from a letter of mine published in December 13, 1999 issue of Maclean's regarding personal freedoms:

If Canada was to take steps towards becoming such a totalitarian state, the government investigators would have a hard time referencing my customs declarations for there would be none--I would leave for good.

Well, totalitarianism and stupidity are definitely on the rise North America wide.