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In a move that will make Bush administration detractors bring back those duct tape jokes again, the Department of Homeland Security has partnered up with the famous children’s show.
“We all want our children to feel safe in this world,” said Meryl Chertoff, wife of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, at a ceremony held at the John Tyler Elementary School to announce the partnership. "And who better to do that than our Sesame Street friends, Grover and Rosita!”
“I always knew that [Mr. and Mrs. Chertoff] would be big muppet Muppett supporters!” said Sesame Workshop CEO Gary Knell.
As you can imagine, the partnership is aimed at children, and seeks to encourage family preparedness plans in the case of emergencies.
“Family preparedness is the cornerstone of personal and community readiness,” said Secretary Chertoff in a statement (he was scheduled to attend the event, but has been busy handling the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in Texas). “And we could not be more pleased to team up with Sesame Workshop.”
But perhaps Grover puts it best in his introductory remarks, published in a pamphlet titled, “Let’s Get Ready!”
“I, your furry, blue friend Grover, have a story to share. Are you wondering what it is about? I will give you an itty-bitty hint: It is about getting ready for emergencies! Oh boy, that was a big hint. Do you want to get ready, too? You do? Oh, I am so pleased. Then read this story with me, and let us get ready together!”
Originally posted by loam
This story make me want to vomit.
Originally posted by Yarcofin
To me, it depends on what exactly the subject matter is.
If it's something like www.getprepared.ca that just tells you what you should put in a 72 hour survival kit, what to do in case of certain disasters, etc then I think it's a great idea. We teach fire safety in schools so why not how to prepare for a tornado, earthquake, even a nuclear attack (bring back the ol' duck & cover )
But if it's just propaganda and brainwashing then absolutely no. If it's "if you see a suspicious man in a turban", "If your classmate seems threatening or dangerous, tell the FBI", kind of stuff, "report your parents if they are voting democrat so we can lock them in camps" then I obviously have a problem with it.
[edit on 9/18/2008 by Yarcofin]
Originally posted by TheRedneck
American trucks are regularly stopped and searched under the Patriot Act, while Mexican trucks are allowed to cross the border unchecked and rife with safety and regulatory violations. Even after Congress specifically stated the cross-border pilot program was to be ended, it was continued in denial of said Congress by Mary Peters, head of the USDOT, which is a section of the DHS.
Two border guards named Ramos and Compean are arrested for shooting at a known drug smuggler from Mexico, in perfect compliance with their job duties, then are railroaded into jail using the paid testimony of said drug dealer, who was not only given free reign to return (and sell more drugs), but was also allowed access to the evidence during the trial by the main prosecutor for the DHS (Johnny Sutton).
The above actions give me little faith in the good intentions of the DHS.
Originally posted by hoochymama
Great post. The total you listed for terrorism is a ONE TIME EVENT. The others you listed occur EVERY YEAR or at least cover the time frame from when 911 until now.
Considering Islamic terrorism has killed 3, 000 people on U.S. soil, compared to, say, the 42,116 that were killed in highway crashes alone in that same year or the 20, 000 that annually die from the flu, I think there are potentially more pressing issues they could be educating our children about.
I'm not sure if I told this story before, so if I did, forgive me for another senior moment. One day, in second grade, the school signaled an air raid drill. We were all supposed to get under the desk, and put our hands over our head. Well, everyone in the class did......except me. My teacher scolded me and said I HAD to get under the desk. I still refused, saying I didn't need to. When she asked why NOT, I answered "Because I had asparagus last night." She said " That's not a good reason." I answered -Yes, because my mother told me that if I ate my vegetables every night, that it would protect me from the Atom Bomb." You see, I hated vegetables then, and that was the only way she could get me to eat them.
This takes my mind back to the 'good old days' of bomb drills in the schools. I remember sitting under the lockers in the hall, curled up in a fetal position with my hands over my head, waiting for the world to vaporize. I remember it because it scared me.