trip to smithsonian may be cancelled.

[wesw]

school may cancel, parents may not let children go, don t expect any money back if cancelled....

lol, like I care about the money....

holly asked me, as soon as she got home, if we should let the girl go on the field trip.

after a moment , I said yes, they would probably have the whole place to themselves as everyone seems to be cancelling field trips

crap. crappetty crap crap crap crap. crap.

[Scooter]

A suicide bomber could target your local shopping mall more easily than the Smithsonian.

The thing that terrorists want most, is to have us live in constant fear. Our own fear can have the power of a thousand bombs, if it stops us from living our lives.

So call the school, tell them they are nuts, no, better yet, unpatriotic. They obviously cannot cancel field trips in perpetuity, so why cancel them at all? Will the risk be any less next year than right now? Call the other parents, tell them that you are choosing not to let the terrorists win by missing out on life. If no one else is going, take her yourself; she'll probably get a better appreciation for the exhibits one-on-one with you than with a teacher or two trying to manage a whole class.

[Econoline]

What Scooter said.

[BoSoxGal]

A suicide bomber could target your local shopping mall more easily than the Smithsonian.

The thing that terrorists want most, is to have us live in constant fear. Our own fear can have the power of a thousand bombs, if it stops us from living our lives.

So call the school, tell them they are nuts, no, better yet, unpatriotic. They obviously cannot cancel field trips in perpetuity, so why cancel them at all? Will the risk be any less next year than right now? Call the other parents, tell them that you are choosing not to let the terrorists win by missing out on life. If no one else is going, take her yourself; she'll probably get a better appreciation for the exhibits one-on-one with you than with a teacher or two trying to manage a whole class.

Bravo! The French are out in huge public crowds, despite the ban. Their message is to tell the terrorists loud and clear: We will NOT stop living!

[wesw]

I m not gonna call the school, they have enough people yapping at'em, I m sure.

if the trip is on, she can go.

why would I go call all those nice hometown folks, some who go to our church, unpatriotic?

I d be concerned if they didn t consider the kid s safety.

no decision has been made anyway.

its their call. maybe there is intelligence of an imminent attack that is not public, who knows?

apparently something was planned in Germany today, but foiled somehow.

why would I want to cause upset in my community? its the terrorists who need to be upset.

[Guinevere]

They have guns. We have champagne.

Vive la France. Vive Paris. Nous sommes Charlie.

[rubato]

Vive Paris! The French are leading the way on this one. They understand that you cannot give in to fear.


yrs,
rubato

[wesw]

yeah , they re bombing the shit out of isis. they are sending an aircraft carrier to assist in the bombing of the shit out of isis.

Russia reports 2000 sorties in the past two days, for what its worth.

they are changing the name of raqqa to rubbla.

[Scooter]

Obviously my approach on this issue is too confrontational for you, but this is (pretty much literally) a hill on which I am prepared to die.

The freedoms we enjoy in our respective countries were hard won over hundreds of years. Either they mean something, or they don't. If we allow terrorists to persuade us to forego any of our freedoms, or if we allow governments to use the threat of terrorism to place excessive restrictions on our freedoms, then (a) those who secured those freedoms for us over the course of history did it all for nothing, and (b) the terrorists who seek to build a society devoid of those freedoms will have succeeded right here at home.

Obviously I am not denouncing reasonable prudence. But in this case, school administrators are not privy to classified chatter about potential threats, so while they should obviously make student safety a priority, their response to the "threat" was both irrational, based on the prominence of the Smithsonian and the shock of recent events, rather than any real assessment of risk (quick - how many museums have been targeted by Islamic terrorists?), and also unworkable, because the list of potential terrorist targets is endless and the moments in time when they might occur are countless. In a few weeks or months time, the school will permit field trips again (if they decide to cancel in the first place) with no better reason than for cancelling them.

You are glad they are thinking of student safety, and that is all well and good, but overexaggerated caution can make kids more fearful than they need to be. I can't find it now, but your first post about this with your daughter's reaction made me sad. Yes, terrorism is a threat, as it always has been, and while living somewhat differently is necessary, that should never be translated as living less. Yes, the events in Paris were shocking and tragic, but for a school of all institutions to be sending children the message that their lives can never be the same in ways they could not hope to understand, does nothing but instill fear and insecurity that serves no purpose, except that in the name of keeping children safe, they have now been made to feel unsafe.

It's as if we are returning to the era of duck and cover drills, and building bunkers under the backyard.

[wesw]

dc has enacted all sorts of securitymeasures and has advised lawmakers to travel underground if possible.

they may know something that we don t, scooter

it certainly isn t over in france and ISIS has gained credibility.

when they say that they are gonna blow shit up, they blow shit up

[Guinevere]

Source please.

I see nothing in the press about advising officials to travel underground, or any specific credible threat to DC (other than one report of general bluster about going after all countries that are conducting strikes from some ISIS Azzhat). Plenty of reports related to the usual 4th of Juky warnings and Pope security.

[Big RR]

wes--I doubt the school has any unpublished information; more likely enough parents are cancelling participation to make it unfeasible to allow the teachers to travel. After all, if the whole class goes, you don't need a substitute--if only a few go, the school will have to spring for that.

Face it, we cannot live our lives cowering in fear, nor can we allow our children to do so. "The only thing we have to fear it fear itself".

[wesw]

I don t know where I indicated that I am cowering in fear. I said that I would let her go, twice , I think.

I m pretty sure that the specific security measures put in place in DC, by the mayor, I think, were suggested by the homeland security agency.

the school board and govt and law enforcement are all pretty inter-connected in a small town like this.

our school board has exactly on school to deal with, well one facilty anyway. middle and high schools are in the same facility.

the elementary school is in a different state and a Maryland county controls it

[Guinevere]

Again I ask, source, please. Not what you believe, but a news outlet actually reporting on these "measures." You know, a link, with facts.

[Big RR]

wes--I don't think you personally are cowering in fear, but I do think some people do so, especially when it comes to their children. It's easy to overreact, and much harder to stand up if it means putting one's children at any risk. In this age of helicopter parenting, many parents seek to protect their kids from any stress or danger, and IMHO, it sends the wrong message. You have already said you would let her go.

[Lord Jim]

advised lawmakers to travel underground if possible.

Wes didn't make this up out of thin air:

Get Ready for Extra Security Across DC After Paris Attacks and ISIS Video

People should brace themselves to see additional police officers and other security measures across DC, especially in Metro, in the wake of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 129 people and an apparent threat from the group that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria of similar strikes on Washington.

The Metro Transit Police Department announced Monday that it will deploy additional offices to stations and expand its use of random bag searches and K9 unit sweeps, hours after the release of a video from ISIS in which a member of the terrorist group claims credit for the Paris attacks and says “we will strike America at its center in Washington.”

Metro ramped up patrols Friday night as Paris while the carnage in Paris was still playing out, and the transit agency says today riders should expect to see the additional security presence for an “unspecified period of time.” Transit police have 20 K9 teams throughout stations and other system infrastructure. Metro says it is also implementing “several other countermeasures that are not visible to the traveling public.”

Metro officials are also encouraging riders to be extra-vigilant about unattended packages and to alert transit police of any suspicious activity at 202-962-2121.

DC’s other law enforcement agencies haven’t been as emphatic about their responses to Friday night’s events in France, but there are extra security measures all over town. Capitol Police told members of Congress and their staff today that while there are no specific threats against the legislative branch right now, they should exercise “simple precautions,” like using the tunnels beneath the Capitol complex instead of braving the treacherous outdoors in one of the most heavily policed locations in Washington. Capitol Police have also increased their visibility in response to the events in Paris.

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capi ... -paris.php

Washington Metro police up security after Paris attacks

Washington (CNN)Law enforcement officials across Washington are taking additional steps to protect the nation's capital and its infrastructure following the Islamic State's threat to strike Washington in the days following its deadly attack on Paris.

The FBI said it and the Department of Homeland Security are "closely monitoring" events in Paris.

"At this time, there is no specific or credible threat to the United States. We will not hesitate to adjust our security posture, as appropriate, to protect the American people," the FBI said in a statement.

"DHS and the FBI routinely share information with our state, local, federal and international law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security partners, and continually evaluate the level of protection we provide at federal facilities."

The Capitol Police Board, which overseas law enforcement and security for the Capitol and its surrounding buildings issued a statement regarding their "heightened security posture," following the warning.

"Today's threat environment dictates that we operate at a high level of vigilance and employ agile and flexible tactics to ensure the safety of the Legislative Branch against persistent dangers," USCP said in the statement. "As with many law enforcement agencies around the nation, the USCP has increased visibility in a number of areas. The increased presence and visibility is a proactive enhancement of our already heightened security posture."

Washington police are increasing patrols, adding K9 sweeps and expanding random explosives screening in the capital city's Metro rail system, the Metro Transit Police Department announced the moves Monday.

The police said they also "have implemented several other countermeasures that are not visible to the traveling public," along with other local and federal law enforcement agencies.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/16/politics/ ... index.html

Increased security measures for city nightlife after Paris attack

WASHINGTON — Following the Paris attacks, umbrella groups representing D.C. hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other potential terrorist targets are being advised on ways to raise their security postures.

D.C. Police, along with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, are providing security briefings to the Restaurant Association, the Business Improvement Districts and groups overseeing the hospitality industry.

“We are in the process of doing that now. We always do it following an incident,” said Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

D.C. nightclubs and bars are getting special attention.

“We actually have a team of officers that are nightlife security, that’s what they do,” Lanier continued. “They are also being briefed and briefing in the nightlife areas.”

Police are mindful that a restaurant and theater in Paris were attacked, and Lanier said there is no narrow focus when boosting security against the terror threat.

“We have increased our levels of security, but it goes far beyond only considering the last attack,” Lanier said. “We have to think a little broader than that. When we increase security, we got to increase security — plain and simple.”

http://wtop.com/dc/2015/11/increased-se ... is-attack/

[wesw]

the security measures were announced last night , before I went to sleep.

it was part of what the parents and teachers were considering last night. holly was keeping up online and talking to another parent about it.

I heard about the security measures on fox news, I think, and another source that I can t remember.

I also heard about an ambulance laden with explosives in hannover Germany, but I only had that from one source so I didn t include it. all I know is they reported credible threats and cancelled a soccer game and a concert

[Scooter]

Wes didn't make this up out of thin air:

It was not that, so much as his insistence on attaching a meaning to those measures that has been flatly and repeatedly denied by those who put the measures in place ("maybe they know something we don't"), and then claiming that those who are cancelling trips to DC have been made privy to this secret knowledge, presumably pointing to a credible threat, and have decided to cancel trips to DC on that basis. Instead, there have been repeated statements that there is no credible threat, and that the enhanced security measures are precautionary and not indicative of any actual threat to DC, and that civilians will not be aware of most of them, i.e.implemented without impeding the public from carrying on with regular day-to-day life. The DC Chief of Police stated explicitly that changing the way we live in an attempt to evade the threat of terrorism is the wrong approach; terrorists will continue shifting to new targets while we dance to their tune.

Same thing with using the Capitol tunnels, an explicit statement that the recommendation to use them is not based on knowledge of any threat (it sounds more like a way for police patrolling around the Capitol Hill traffic insanity to reduce the number of pedestrians they have to be mindful of, and allow them to focus their attention on whatever enhanced security tasks they are assigned). But again, this was attributed to "maybe they know something we don't."

There was some guy from a school in Maryland, I can't remember where I saw the video, who said, almost verbatim, "Just because there is no credible threat doesn't mean that something isn't going to happen." Seriously, claiming that a decision without rational basis is nevertheless justified because the decider is self-evidently paranoid. And the wildly divergent actions - some schools delaying DC field trips for a day, some rescheduling to next month, others cancelling all DC trips indefinitely - no rhyme or reason for any of it, because it's sheer panic.

As I said before, the most unfortunate side effect is the unnecessary fear and wrong headed messaging that school officials are modelling for the kids. Do we go back to the duck and cover era, or what?

[BoSoxGal]

wesw lives on the eastern shore/Delmarva, where redneck is about as prevalent as here in rural Montana. I'm sure cancelling the Smithsonian trip is more about playing to the fears of a majority of redneck/xenophobe parents as anything else.

[wesw]

pitiful, bigsky