Can't help it...

Do you remember the days after September 11th? Who doesn't! I woke up every morning wondering if the world was OK, if there was going to be another attack.

I'm not a TV person so I had one old television back in 2001. I didn't have cable or Dish or anything other than the basic stations. Right after 9-11 I added Dish. I wanted to know what was going on in the world.

Another change in my habits was that every morning, without fail, I walked into the great room and popped on the TV for a few minutes. I needed to make sure that nothing else had happened.

If I turned it on to a commercial I knew things were calm and I immediately flipped it off.

At some point I slowly got out of that habit. I could get up, brush my teeth, fix my breakfast and go about my business without first turning on the TV.

I'm married now and with the marriage came a couple of newer televisions. We also have cable.

I find I'm back in that same habit of turning on the TV first thing each morning.

I hadn't realized I was caught up in that one again until this morning. So, after seeing that Fox and Friends had a normal show working, I turned off the TV and started pondering why.

I don't have that same always-with-me sense of trepidation or concern that the terrorists are going to hit us again. Although I will have to say that I strongly believe there's a much higher chance now than there has been these past years under President Bush. Based on what I'm reading and hearing, I think the signals we're sending are tantamount to practically asking for them to attack us. The terrorists don't respect weakness. They laugh when we want to negotiate. To them it's just another way to exploit the soft Americans.

So maybe there is a bit of post-9-11 insecurity at play, but it's mostly at a subconscious level.

When I thought about it more I realized the underlying cause is bigger, if that's at all possible, than 9-11. I fear for our country. Every day when I turn on the news, turn on the computer, read my daily news in my email inbox, I see the country I love being eroded by power-craving politicians.

I see Obama sending money to fund abortions when we need it here (not to mention the last thing we need to be doing is killing babies).

I hear about stimulus packages that are going to destroy the future for our children and generations beyond.

I read about the Fairness Doctrine which will kill conservative talk radio then, when that's successful and the voices move to the Internet, will extend its tentacles even further.

I see actions being taken to destroy businesses and other freedoms (i.e., the Employee Free Choice Act which will kill the secret ballot and usher in an era of Union control of our workforce).

I read about Obama's actions to undermine the things that have helped to protect us.

I think I just have to make sure the world hasn't completely collapsed while I slept.

Now that I'm aware, I'm not sure if I want to work to curb the habit or just let it go. I'll probably keep doing it simply because it's almost like a security blanket. I have a feeling I'm going to need more than a quick flick of the remote to ease my angst in the days to come.

-rd

A tiny bit of good news...

Love it that President Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1981, with only THREE networks in existence at the time, was viewed on TV by roughly 4 million more than Obama!

I suppose some party-pooper will come along and say that many were watching on the Internet, which I understand was hot and heavy. But still, think about it. The population has grown tremendously since Reagan's inauguration and there are probably more TV's in households.

Obama's inauguration was shown on 17 or so TV stations... compared with three measly little stations back then. I was surprised when I read the article, and pleased.

Hat tip to RightReel on Twitter for RT on this one, made me smile just a bit to have a tiny glimmer of rightness in this currently gloomy world.

Obama Inaugural Ratings Fall Short of Reagan’s
Thursday, January 22, 2009 1:30 PMBy: Rick Pedraza
Although the number of viewers watching the presidential inauguration coverage of Barack Obama was impressive, they fall short of those who saw Ronald Reagan take the oath of office for his first term in 1981. According to Nielsen Media Research, 37.8 million television viewers tuned in Tuesday to watch the swearing-in ceremony, which was the largest inaugural audience in 28 years. Reagan's first inauguration in 1981 drew a whopping 41.8 million...
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_inaugural_reagan/2009/01/22/174132.html?s=al&promo_code=789C-1

More on war on terror... or lack thereof...

Obama Moves to Halt ‘Harsh’ Interrogations, Close Gitmo
White House (CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama has started rolling back the Bush administration policy in the war on terror, signing executive orders to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison in a year and prohibit what some Democrats have called “torture.” Obama on Wednesday signed four directives to change certain national security policies carried out under the Bush administration.

Democrats Split on Whether Congress Should be Involved in Closing Gitmo
Washington (CNSNews.com) – Congressional Democrats are divided on whether President Obama should seek their approval as he tries to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CNSNews.com that he wants a say in the matter. “I would like (Congress) to at least have an advisory role,” he told CNSNews.com.

Gates Predicts U.S. Will be in Iraq and Afghanistan ‘for Years to Come’
(CNSNews.com) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates predicts the U.S. will be in Afghanistan for years to come. In an article in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, Gates laid out the state of the U.S. military and how well it is poised to face the future. “To be blunt, to fail -- or to be seen to fail -- in either Iraq or Afghanistan would be a disastrous blow to U.S. credibility, both among friends and allies and among potential adversaries,” Gates wrote.

So much for the war on terror?

By making changes so quickly and clearly in regards to the war on terror after taking office, Mr. Obama is sending signals to the terrorists. I think the message is, 'we're going to try the wimp tactic'. Gee, it's working so well in Great Britain and Europe.

Obama moves to overhaul 'war on terror' practices
In three executive orders signed Thursday, he departs sharply from Bush's policies on Guantanamo, CIA prisons, and harsh interrogation tactics...
http://www.elabs5.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=o1l,445f,er,6ngv,j6bl,mbr4,k497

Bush's 'War' On Terror Comes to a Sudden End
By Dana Priest
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 23, 2009; Page A01
President Obama yesterday eliminated the most controversial tools employed by his predecessor against terrorism suspects. With the stroke of his pen, he effectively declared an end to the "war on terror," as President George W. Bush had defined it, signaling to the world that the reach of the U.S. government in battling its enemies will not be limitless...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203929.html

Why the Gitmo policies may not change
There may be less than meets the eye to the executive orders President Obama issued yesterday to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and prohibit the torture of prisoners in American custody. Those pronouncements may sound dramatic and unequivocal, but experts predict that American policy towards detainees could remain for months or even years pretty close to what it was as President Bush left office...
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17841.html

Obama’s Decision to Close Gitmo Called ‘Dangerous and Irresponsible’
(CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama on Thursday is expected to sign an executive order that would close the Guantanamo Bay detention center with one year. Criticism of Obama’s executive order began even before he signed it.

Sorting out Guantanamo detainees
Obama has ordered a thorough review of pending terror cases.
http://www.elabs5.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=o1l,43nu,er,gf7i,csgw,mbr4,k497