December 11, 2002 - 8:21 p.m.
President Bush announced today that he has a strategy for vaccinating the country against smallpox.
Military personnel would be required to take the vaccine within a few weeks and emergency workers would be encouraged to do the same some time early next year.
Merry Christmas.
Also today, the White House said anyone who attacks the U.S. or its interests with doomsday weapons could face nuclear retaliation.
Happy New Year.
Okay, so is it me, or does today's news out of the White House freak you out?
We have two stories here. In one, the commander-in-chief of the most powerful armed forces on the planet is telling his soliders to get vaccinated against this terrible disease, and to do it NOW.
In the other, he's warning other countries (cough, Iraq, cough) not to use nuclear weapons.
"Throw out all your nuclear weapons! They're bad, evil, and any country that develops them clearly has evil intentions. If you don't do what we say, we'll blow you up with OUR nuclear weapons!" Oops. Was that out loud?
I know we need to defend ourselves. I don't question that. In a way, it's comforting our forces will have protection against yet another possible biological agent they may have to face. As a private citizen, though, I wonder what may happen if I have to face it. Maybe I should enlist, get the vaccination, and then go AWOL.
I guess all I'm trying to say is that things are getting kind of freaky.
If you can shed light on them or put me at ease, please feel free to do so. Lie to me.
Tell me no one has nuclear weapons.
Tell me the leaders in Washington are being forthcoming and the only reason they want troops vaccinated NOW is because they don't like procrastinating... not because an attack is imminent.
Tell me the world is still a great place to be and I can somehow feel safe from terrorism without having to set up a colony on Mars.
Someone pull out a proverbial brown bag for me to breathe into, because frankly, this stuff makes me a little short of breath.
Tell me this will be okay.
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