BlueWolf's Howl

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August 26, 2002

Around the Whirled

The Photolog has finally been updated... I was able to scan a bunch of pics, but only posted 6 so far. All 6 were taken at Coral Castle in Florida.

And I've added a Comics section. It's where I'll be archiving the cartoons that I've been drawing. I also put links up (in that section) to a few of my other drawings. There you can find the links to my former "Nut Nurse" strips and miscellaneous drawings. I'm going to try and post cartoons (Cream of the Crop) every Saturday and Sunday until the ideas run dry or I come up with a better storyline/setup. I posted the cartoons without any additional text so they would look better in the archive. Sorry if I confused anyone and thanks so very much for the compliments I've received so far...

The pic on the side (and behind the camera on the Photolog) is an old one. When I get a chance, I'll update it with a more recent shot. And yes, that IS a small pumpkin on the top of my head...

On a more serious note:

I heard a very thought-provoking article on NPR's Morning Edition this morning. It featured Public Service Announcements regarding the need to guard your freedom. It mentions the Patriot Act and how the government has a right to investigate even the books you check out (and the sites you visit on a library computer).

The whole idea really has me torn. I can see both sides. I can appreciate the danger of power in the wrong hands. I would hate to be interrogated for my choice of books. I would hate to even be worried about the "appearance" of my reading habits. I've BEEN worried before (long ago) when I checked out books on sexuality, trying to understand myself and my feelings. It was not a comfortable place. And it would have thrown me for a loop to be questioned or interrogated about something that I really didn't understand yet (which was why I was reading those books).

On the other hand, I can also see security professionals trying to insure the safety of the public. We've tied their hands for a very long time and found that it puts US in danger. I don't want that either. I want to know that I can go to Disney World and not have to worry about being in a "target" crowd. I'm sure those professionals would also like for their families to feel safe again, too. And they can't protect us if they don't have the power or the tools to investigate and prevent dangerous individuals from causing harm.

It would be a very ugly world if we were questioned for reading "Our Bodies, Our Selves." It would also be a very ugly world where people who read something like "How to make an atom bomb in your bathtub" WEREN'T picked up for questioning. But how do you tell which is more dangerous? It's a very grey area from where I see it. There is no clear-cut boundary to say what would and wouldn't be an obvious characteristic of a terrorist. But I'm sure that if (heaven forbid) another attack would occur, people would point to a sign like a list of library books and say, "why didn't you do something before this happened?"

It seems there are no right or wrong answers. Perhaps the best we can do is hope that those whom we trust will realize the responsibility of that trust and act accordingly.

Posted by BlueWolf on August 26, 2002 11:51 PM