Last week I was in Philadelphia and thought I'd swing by to see the Liberty Bell on one of my breaks. But the lines for security and baracades were to much to deal with, so I passed it by, smirking at the "new liberty" of the post 9-11 world.

www.americablog.org
and
www.slashdot.org

are good ones, too.

:)

Security measures always looked overdone until something happens and everyone says "why weren't we more prepared to stop this?". That's the catch - we have to protect everything we consider historical or important. Terrorists only have to hit one thing to make an impact.

However the point is, none of these "precautions" are going to stop a damn thing. Really now, can you see this exchange in front of the Liberty bell?
"Excuse me sir, I need to search that backpack", says security. "Of course", say's visitor. "I'm sorry sir, but you can't visit the Liberty bell with a backpack full of C4 Explosives". "Damn, foild again", says visitor. Of course not.

It's like the no parking rule in front of airport drop off spots. It makes perfect sense from a traffic management standpoint but from a anti-terrorist point of view? Come on. A car bomber is not going to worry about getting a ticket and the damage will be done long before a tow-truck can remove the car. So why vale everything in this cloud of security? Call it what it is. A traffic patrol.

We live in an open society and if the price of that has become that we might need to rebuild the statue of liberty, or glue the liberty bell back together then so be it. It's worlds better than generations of Americans growing up not able to see the view from Ms. Liberties crown or pay a visit to the liberty bell.

The next time "something happens" on US soil, all it's going to show is that some of the billions we spent on homeland security were a waist of time and money.

See, this I'm not so sure about - the thing is an object, an artifact - what it represents exists beyond the thing itself. While the Liberty Bell is cool, I don't think it's loss would end liberty any more than World Trade stopped with 9-11.

Somehow locking up the Bell seems a greater win for the terrorists than blowing it up - at least to me anyway.

I was in NYC over the weekend and there's one thing I know - there are no rental lockers available since 9/11. This means I had to haul my backpack of clothes into the concert with me because the Amtrak bag check closes at 10 PM and the concert didn't let out until almost midnight.

Seriously people, if you wanted to blow shtuff up, you wouldn't stuff it in a locker. You'd walk into the middle of the freakin' place and detonate the mofo.

I agree in principle with what is being said here. But part of security is feeling secure. To the average (though perhaps not so bright) joe on the street, seeing these added measures, in spite of how ineffective we all know they are, makes them feel better. Is it logicial? No. But they can say "we're doing something" and be secure in that. Is it logical? No.

Really, though, beyond having an increased presence and visilbility of normal day to day security, what can be done? Nothing. As has been stated, if someone really wants to do it, they probably can.

But this brings me to another point. Why has there been no campaign of car bombings in the US? Or blowing up stores or malls? Would that not have a huge impact for anyone wanting to disrupt our way of life? It makes me wonder if (a) the terrorists are incapable of doing it here for some reason, b) security is doing more than we know, or (c) our intelligence community is doing one hell of a job that we just don't know about.

Could be. But not psychologically to the average American. If the treasures and history of our country can be attacked and destroyed, i think that damages our way of life more than heavy security surrounding them.

When I went to DC in October, I felt the same way about all the security checks. Instead of actually looking for terrorists, this administration has decided that we're all terrorists and treat us like that at every monument, museum and government building with security checkpoints.

At the Smithsonian, the security checkers refused to let me stand next to Ralphie while he checked in his bag. They made me move 20 feet away before they resumed his check. I had no bag, but some how I was a threat to him and the checker. (???) The next couple that came in (man and woman), the woman's bag was checked and the empty-handed man got to stand next to her. (I even believe they were holding hands.) By the time I got in to see Old Glory, I was so pissed off that I looked at it for maybe 2 minutes and left the building.

With construction around all of the major buildings in DC, they're keeping us away from them. Like denizens in their castles surrounded by moats. What's even more distressing is that all the construction scaffolding and fences have been there since 9/11 and little to no construction is going on. They're scared, too. I have friends who live on Constitution Avenue and they pass the Capitol every day to go to work. They see these construction obstructions and know they haven't moved in ages nor have there been work actually done to a lot of these buildings.

What's more, we're not going to be able to go inside the Capitol for much longer. They're building a visitor center away from the Capitol for 'our convenience'.

If you're really concerned about this country, don't get mad, don't let them scare you, don't be afraid. Laugh at the idiots and get them out of office. Personally, I'd rather see our country go away than see what is stands for errode any further.

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. "
-Benjamin Franklin