Temporary Archive: Suzanne Brockmann's Message Board

Yes - Nov 2002 is when it was passed. Prior to that date the office was called for by Congress if not immediately after 9/11 then not to long after. Requested by the President well before 11/02 to act as a temporary role Ridge agreed to man the position until the formal approval and then appointment as a cabinet position to the President - so the signature and office appontment hadn't been officially established until Nov 2002. Next big leap - no funding and responsibilities and reporting for rest of country up and into Homeland Security Office were even in place or fully outlined at that time. So it was still a position without power - similar to the SEC. 11/02 I would say we were still in a state of emergency operation at that time. Look to our deployments into Afganistan etc. as an example

Rule by Law - Yes. However the system of Law that we practice in this country is based on and flows from Common Law in large part. You wrote above.... in a democracy you "RULE BY LAW" at (what) point do those laws become infringements?

I would point out that it seems in some cases our society or societies infringements seem to become Law.

A city can only do that...issue a mandatory evacuation, although they can not force you to leave. The Galveston Mayor pointed out that those people who stay behind would do so at there own risk and should expect and would get no response from government services until general services were back in place. If a person stays behind don't they give up the right of government assistance? Yeah in theory but reality is no - thay expect help, demand help and if the are injured because of their decision or lack of response they normally sue. I think this line of thinking loops right back to Tom's example of protester who puts self on ground in front of ambulance, and ambulance driver choosing to injure or take the protesters life in the course of saving the patient in his care.

The big picture as far as I am concerned is - Education, Education, Education. Think Global and Act Local. All Governemnt begins in our own backyard. I can work towards supporting government or social support systems and programs but when push comes to shove my first recourse is how am I taking care of myself so that I am in a position to help others?

The discussions everyone is having on this and related topics is really fascinating to me. I think it is forgotten that no one and or no one country has experience with managing populations on the scale we are operating on. The same is true for our social and corporate organizations for that matter - nothing on the scale of our world population and structure has ever been seen or done before; let alone successfully.

As reference to what I am saying I suggest the reading of the book: Germs, Guns & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond.

Didn't mean to go on a rant. Lots of brains working as a result of these discussions - Keep It Up!