Lansing - Veterans, young people and other concerned citizens turned out to ask questions and get reassurance.

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, held a town hall meeting Monday night at Lansing Catholic Central High School, 501 N. Marshall St., in Lansing.

Rogers said the meeting was to address the concerns local residents might have about last week’s terrorist attacks.

“They didn’t attack New York, they didn’t attack Washington, D.C.,” he said. “They attacked 287 million Americans who believe in democracy.”

He reassured people on the safety of the airlines.

“Please don’t be scared of flying, if we stop getting on those planes, we let them win,” he said.

Rogers said in researching war bonds it was discovered it would cost the government more to produce them than the bonds would raise.

“So we are looking at some other alternatives, like renaming existing treasury bonds,” he said.

Rogers also pointed to the recent $40 billion appropriated by Congress to go to relief from the attacks.

“A part of that goes to tracking down everybody that was involved,” he said.

But Rogers told the crowd not to take the manhunt or war on terrorism the wrong way.

“We are not targeting Muslims, we are not targeting Arabs - we are targeting terrorists,” he said.

Also in attendance were Lansing Mayor David Hollister, state Rep. Paul DeWeese, R-Williamston and Lansing police Chief Mark Alley.

Hollister asked the audience to report any kind of graffiti which could be construed as hateful.

He said messages have been popping up all over and said if reported, the graffiti would be immediately removed.

“My immediate concern is ethnic intimidation,” he said. “We need to be conscious and listen to them.”

Hollister also spoke to the audience about Lansing’s plan to be prepared for a terrorist attack.

He said he spent three days in February working with the city’s police and fire departments on an agenda for such an emergency.

The plan was quickly put into action Sept. 11 following the terrorist attacks.

“We immediately did an assessment on what buildings would be attacked,” he said. “In about an hour and half we released that there was not a threat to mid-Michigan.”

Mason resident Art Good said he thought the meeting addressed many concerns of area people.

“My concerns are maintaining harmony and the caution the federal government takes to the solution,” he said.