• Dick, Kim, Andy (and Coco) Metcalf have moved back to Washington state after a lay-off situation (caused, of course, by the WTC disaster).  New information is as follows:  Snail Mail:  5806 B Armour Drive, Lacey, WA  98513;  E-Mail:  rotcod@reachone.com;  Web Address:  www.reachone.com/rotcod;  Home Phone:  360-438-9299;  Cell Phone:  360-561-4858.

 

    Thanks, Dick, for informing Greta Gardner of your new status.  The appropriate corrections have been made to the on-line subscription list and the main Gardner Newsletter subscription list!

 

A topic I think would be most apropo here is EXTREMISM!  How do we define it?  When does a (personal) belief "cross the line"?  Once something is determined to be (too) "extreme", how should the person expressing/touting it be handled?  Can religious belief be considered "extreme" if it attempts to change another person's beliefs?"

 

In the wake of the terrorist bombing of New York's World Trade Center, I think the best course of action the U.S. should take is:

   The very FIRST thing George W. Bush Jr., should have taken is to launch a program (much like Kennedy's space program after Sputnik) to TOTALLY pull us (and the rest of the world) away from oil dependency.  Alternative fuels are already being used in many countries; we have the resources, scientific know-how and the $$ to make this a VERY effective program.

 The follow-on to that (much as Bush is doing right now) should be to ensure that whoever is clearly IDENTIFIABLE as the perpetrator of this atrocity should be brought to trial (NOT in the U.S, though) as SOON as possible.  Media should be used to make the punishment as HORRIBLE as the crime (something like subjecting them to non-stop ranting/raving from Jerry Falwell ought to do the trick... they would TURN TO JELLY after 48 hours of that, eh?)  On a more serious note... media SHOULD be used to televise the event as widely as possible... we should NOT kill the perpetrators, just figure something out that is so horrible in nature that no one will EVER contemplate such awful acts against humanity again!

I am coping and dealing with this national tragedy (along with my family and friends) by ...

   Moving back to Washington state (after having been laid off from my job (direct result of the WTC tragedy).

Here is how I think my life will change going forward from this event:

    As little as possible.  Letting our lives change too much is (just) like giving them what they wanted.  I DO think I will probably write more about things like this.  It is particularly important to remember that EXTREMISM is what caused this.  I think it would be a good experience for ALL of us to examine how closely WE affiliate with ""extremists""... whether they be rabid rugby rowdies, or those who tend to get overzealous with their ""om's"".

 

 

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