Why are we spending so much money to make everyone “feel safe?” Were we truly the victims of a terrorist attack or are we really the victims of misdirection?

As a frequent commuter on the ferries that cross Puget Sound, my vehicle is subject to bomb-sniffing dogs and questionably legal “security screenings” by the State Patrol twice daily, once when I leave the island and again when I return. Our ferry boats are even escorted by two U.S. Coast Guard gunboats. The public observation platform at Pier 66 on the waterfront in Seattle is locked down whenever cruise ships dock to prevent residents of luxury condos and office workers from having a peaceful lunch in a publicly funded space intended for such purposes.

Given these knee-jerk reactionary measures, I took it upon myself to see how protected the “real” targets of terrorism would be. In the middle of the work week, I took a boat down the Duwamish where cargo ships are loaded and thousands of cargo containers sit, waiting to be transported. I also cruised along the Port of Seattle to view the security measures taken to guard our country from the elusive “terrorists.” To my complete astonishment, there were no gun boats. There were no security measures in place that would prohibit a small craft from coming right up to one of these huge ships. Why have our local news media not been covering this glaring lapse of security? I made inquiries to the Washington State Patrol and my government officials asking for a performance audit to evaluate the effectiveness of the money that is being wasted on this show for the public.

The truth is, your elected officials from local, state and federal government have yet to respond to my inquiry. The truth is there are no terrorists. Your politicians are deflecting the real issues that are affecting this country and instead, they are using the art of misdirection to fool the people into a false sense of security. If a terrorist wanted to send a ripple through the national economy, they could simply sink one of these unprotected cargo ships in the Duwamish or at the docks of the Port of Seattle. Ships would not be able to navigate to unload cargo, the port would be rendered inoperable for weeks. We should be wary about these tools of deception, i.e. the Patriot Act, quasi-legal searches of passengers boarding State Ferries and the high profile use of force during peaceful protests. So, the next time you are watching a “breaking news” flash about the runaway bride or the missing blonde in Aruba, ask yourself, what is really going on in my city, my country?

Anthony Vicari

Everett