It is comforting to realise that in such chaotic times as these, when so much seems to be out of our control and beyond our ability to influence, that there is one important thing we do control and do influence. That is: how we react to this.

Whether these guys were really buying the fertilizer, whether they were really terrorists, or were really planning to blow things up, is, at some level, immaterial. What's important, I would suggest, is how we all react to the news of these arrests, both as individuals, and as a group.

The very idea that 'people want to kill us' seems to set some into near-rabid states of foamy fear. It really shouldn't come as news to anyone paying attention that threats have been made against Canada for its role in Afghanistan, and so on, in recent years. That much is true.

But on Fark right now people are arguing now about how much of Bay Street could theoretically have been blown up, and here we seem to have people aghast that the rest of us aren't barricading our homes and screaming for more protection, more protection, more protection.

Tomorrow is Riverfest in the area I live, and I'm going to take my kids there and have a great time. And if I see any swarthy 'Muslim-looking' folks, I'll be sure and smile and say, "afternoon" or whatever. C'mon now, wasn't the gigantic clusterfuck that followed 9-11 evidence enough not to run around like a chicken with its head cut off after buildings in your area get blown up?
posted by stinkycheese at 10:59 AM PST on June 3