it's pretty much impossible to execute a quick civil defense information program
i believe and agree with everything you just said to a point. but Hawk, i do not think that just NYC residents deserve to have certain info...everyone needs it...and it doesn't need to be a course....a short book will do.
now i agree that it would take a long time to teach everyone how to react to every eventuality...but we can teach them how to react to current terrorist weapons in use today. let me give you a few examples of what i mean...
what should one do if confronted by the shoe bomb or any other bomb on an aircraft and the fuse has been lit?
i propose 2 solutions...
cut the fuse a couple of inches below where it appears to be burning.
but wait, nobody has a knife or scissors on an aircraft these days. so grab the bomb in one hand and the fuse in the other and pull it and the blasting cap from the charge. then cover the cap with something substantive like a purse until it goes off. pouring water on the fuse will not work because it is waterproof and once lit will continue to burn even when submerged.
how should one deal with a terrorist with a grenade?
in 1973, GSG-9, the german counter terror organization, on their first ever op, went to mogadishu to rescue a lufthansa aircraft that had been hijacked and was being held by terrorists...during the counter attack one of the terrorists threw two grenades. both were kicked under the seats and exploded harmlessly. most grenades have about a 5 second delay so there is time to react. knowing that information alone could prevent a panic on an airplane.
nuclear attack...we may not be able to prevent it...if it happens, waiting for instructions from authorities will cause many to be unnecessarily overexposed. knowing when to flee is important...knowing which direction to go is just as important. in four pages of easily understood instructions and using my little tool anyone can (after an attack) estimate a likely fallout zone in one minute or less. armed with that information, it becomes obvious which direction to flee.
the estimates for 10kt weapon detonated in NYC were for 100,000 deaths from blast effects and 800,000 radiation casualties. we may not be able to prevent the 100,000, but we can do a lot to keep ourselves from being part of the 800,000.
i have taught this technique to about a dozen small groups of untrained civilians recently. they all understood...and were thrilled to have the information. folks are hungry for a little guidance.
We're all targets UW.
exactly!
on nov 9, 2001 W said, "our nation faces a threat to our freedoms, and the stakes could not be higher. we are the targets of enemies who boast they want to kill - kill all Americans, kill all Jews, kill all Christians."
our armed forces are prepared...but they have not been the target. we are the target. the terrorists are not looking for a fight...they want to kill unarmed and defenseless men, women, and children.
most Americans are now aware of that, but they do not know what to do to prepare themselves and their families to survive an attack. i intend to fix that one family at a time.
there are very few folks at the local level who are highly skilled in handling these kinds of attacks...those that are will be real busy, at least initially, getting themselves and their families to safety.
i believe every American can easily be taught some basic elements of surviving a chemical, biological or nuclear attack. i believe they can easily be taught some ways to deal with the current threat and weapons being used today.
our civil defense posture in the 50s and early 60s was excellent...even if a bit technically incorrect at the time.
our civil defense posture for today's threats sucks. but it is fixable.
some here have said preparedness is a waste of time. i would like to hear them explain that to their kids at the dinner table tonight.
we can argue the politics and religious aspects of this forever...20,000 posts on this thread prove that. but we should realize that we are in a fight and we can attack or defend. i say let's do both. we can let the military do the fighting while we prepare and teach our families how to defend themselves and most importantly how to survive.
unclewest |
