Editorial for May 17, 2007 edition:


Ya better watch out

You know the old saying, "You can’t judge a book by its cover." Taken literally, it’s true. This is the real world, however — a world in which terrorists found a way to bring America to her knees by toppling skyscrapers in her largest city . . . a world in which maniacal dictators from other "civilizations" can taunt us from afar with threats, perceived or real, of chemical and biological warfare . . . a melting pot America in which politically correct politicians who lack the spine necessary to kick illegal immigrants out on their butts make Joe Average feel like a stranger in a strange land.
While 99.9 percent of people in America are pleasantly surprised that we have not had another 9/11, it could happen any time.
It’s no wonder, therefore, that six suspected terrorists, including one that lives in the Northeast, nearly got away with an alleged plot to slaughter soldiers at Fort Dix Army Base in New Jersey.
Thank heaven for the store clerk in Mount Laurel, N.J., who contacted the police after noticing a disturbing videotape recording of a suspected terrorist-training camp — the tape showed 10 men taking assault-weapon target practice and calling for a Muslim holy war — that one of the suspects wanted to have transferred into a DVD.
Due diligence like that — when something or someone doesn’t look right, call the police — can mean life or death. It doesn’t mean that anybody wearing a turban is up to no good. It means keep your eyes and ears open at all times. Keep your antennae up. Trust your instincts.
Reporting suspicious behavior can be tricky business in Northeast Philadelphia, where in recent decades the immigrant population has mushroomed into a miniature United Nations. That will never be a bad thing — as long as people err on the side of caution. Seeing no evil can cost you your life. ••

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