It is clear that our country, state and university are facing a great deal of uncertainty in coming months. There are heightened threats of terrorist acts, a revived interest in the months leading to Sept. 11 and, perhaps most unfortunately, an ambiguously-waged transfer of power in Iraq.
The terror alert system still is at yellow, but it makes sense that American citizens might not be feeling as idyllic about their country as they were a few months ago. As always, though, the best combatant to uncertainty is information.
The more the citizenry knows about terror threats, the better equipped they'll be should Attorney General John Ashcroft's prophecies come true. It's nearly formulaic - confusion requires information which breeds understanding.
Preparedness in avoiding another terrorist attack will be an inevitability of American life well into the future. The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety is simulating a "large-scale" disaster to test university preparation, and the university continues to work with the federal government in studies to keep food safe from contamination. Being prepared is unilaterally important.
That calculation is why we support the MSU criminal justice program's decision to offer an online course in homeland security studies. Preparedness in a time of heightened awareness will meet the needs of the community. Students and community members will presumably learn more about emergency management, hazardous materials and the USA Patriot Act.
Stop the bus right there. An online program - not course - devoted, at least in part, to studying "the legal standards" of the USA Patriot Act. What "legal standards" were in place in the USA Patriot Act to begin with?
Legalizing phone-tapping, disclosing bank account information, racially profiling international students right here at MSU - see the April 19 edition of The State News for that one - and records of what books are being read don't really constitute "legal standards." Perhaps those standards are responsible for the plight of anyone apprehended in our war on terror. The results there speak for themselves.
We're ecstatic that the university is offering an opportunity for the public to learn more about the USA Patriot Act. In our estimation, those who know more about it like it less. In that thread, we at The State News give our full support to the MSU criminal justice program and its online program on homeland security. Perhaps if more people learn all about the USA Patriot Act, they'll realize that the separate entities of "USA" and "Patriot" belong no where near the ideals expressed in that legislation.
Confusion and uncertainty compels us to be informed. Information compels us to come to an understanding. To be sure, homeland security remains a very prevalent concern for all of us, and we should continue to treat it as such. Perhaps this program, though, will bring some to the understanding that the USA Patriot Act does more to damper our homeland security than it does to protect it.
