BCT Editorial – 9/17/10

Role models; Editorial; Beaver County Times; September 17, 2010.

The position expressed in these editorials is the same as the Times took during the Bush administration.  That said, the Times also routinely referred to the Bush administration as “Chicken Littles” and accused the Bush administration of “scare tactics” whenever it reminded us we were still targets.

“When the next terrorist attack on the United States takes place, the perpetrators carrying it out might very well be of the homegrown variety?”  Did the Times forget the Ft. Hood attack (13 dead, 30+ wounded) in November 2009 was “of the homegrown variety?”  Did the Times also forget numerous terrorist attacks “of the homegrown variety” have been thwarted over the years?

The editorial says, “… the Obama White House this year added combating homegrown terrorism to its national security strategy.  It’s the first time that’s been done.”  I don’t know how the Times defines this, but it would seem in error.  Remember several years ago when the Times was pitching fits about the Bush administration accessing phone records that could identify communication between terrorists inside and outside the U.S.?

“Israel provides the international way of dealing with these situations.  After a terrorist attack, Israelis clean up and get back to normal as soon as possible.”  The editorial failed to note Israel also built a wall to help keep terrorists out and Israel takes border security seriously.  Try that for the U.S. and the Times would go nuts.  The Times position on border security appears to be it can be fixed by lax immigration policies.