# Goddamnit..... Security Moms **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 1, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234 "2004-11-01T02:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/1 "2004-11-01T02:23:42Z")
I am so fucking ready to have this goddamn election over with just so I don’t have to hear another fucking word like Security Moms Office Park Dads Nascar Dads Soccer Moms Feel free to add your own to the list of STUPID fucking names used to describe electors nowadays. Both sides are guilty of doing it. Who the hell came up with these terms? To me it sounds like some kind of bullshit label that nobody would actually use themselves. Its demeaning if you ask me. There’s some new terminology that works. This whole red-state vs. blue state idea isn’t that bad. It gets on my nerves a little bit, but not so bad… I have got to stop watching cable news, because it is killing me. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/2 "2004-11-01T03:10:55Z")
What the hell is a “Security Mom”? (sorry, I’ve been avoiding the election pundits) ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/3 "2004-11-01T03:17:19Z")
Maybe a woman with kids who trades securities? Or works for the Securities Exchange Commission? I’ve been somewhat following the election hoopla, and I don’t know either. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/4 "2004-11-01T03:21:54Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > What the hell is a “Security Mom”? > > (sorry, I’ve been avoiding the election pundits) I believe it is women with families who put terrorism and national security at or near the top of their priorities. The term (and I agree with the OP that they’re all pretty stupid) didn’t surface until after the Belsen school hostage situation. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/5 "2004-11-01T03:24:28Z")
I’ll be happy not to have to hear: “I’m (insert sleazy politician) and I approved this message.” Bounce Hitting a home run (outside of baseball) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/6 "2004-11-01T03:28:04Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > What the hell is a “Security Mom”? > > (sorry, I’ve been avoiding the election pundits) It’s an imaginary category of voters who are mothers who value national security above stuff like heath care. It’s pretty much just a hypothetical demographic that the GOP has decisded to target in the hopes that more than four women will vote for them this time. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/7 "2004-11-01T03:32:59Z")
I’ve no clue at all. I take it as some sort of irrational woman with kids whose emotional fears of terrorism drive her to seek some kind of calming or comforting person as Commander in Chief and based on these irrational fears (probably living in rural Oklahoma) she votes against her other interests. That’s the way I imagine shaking down. I don’t believe that, but you can just feel the superiority they show when they talk about these groups of society that can be so easily figured out. ---
**Author:** ![ShockingAlberto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@ShockingAlberto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShockingAlberto)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/8 "2004-11-01T03:38:10Z")
I’ll be glad if I don’t have to hear “Bush” again after this election, but I’m not entirely sure that’s what you’re referring to. I’m sick of hearing the term “Bible Banners,” especially here in Georgia. It’s used by Georgia Republicans to refer to anyone who’s voting for Kerry on a separation of church and state basis. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/9 "2004-11-01T04:20:54Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > I don’t believe that, but you can just feel the superiority they show when they talk about these groups of society that can be so easily figured out. There you go. You just pinpointed why these terms irritate me. It allows you to take the complex beliefs and priorities of entire groups of people and boil them down to a two-word phrase, so you can treat them as a huge homogenous lump and either pander to them or dismiss them. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/10 "2004-11-01T04:31:51Z")
I’m tired of phrases like “All African American voters will…” Or “Hispanic voters will…” Or “Women voters will…” Look, just because segments of the population share obvious physical or ethnic traits does _not_ mean they vote as a homogenous block! I was downright insulted by all the rhetoric surrouding the debates that involved such gems as “Women don’t like to see men sweat.” Dude, I’m trying to decide who I want as the leader of this country for the next four years, and you think I’m so stupid I’m going to make that decision based on _sweat_ or the color of a fucking tie? ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/11 "2004-11-01T04:41:31Z")
> [@ShockingAlberto](#): > > I’ll be glad if I don’t have to hear “Bush” again after this election, but I’m not entirely sure that’s what you’re referring to. > > I’m sick of hearing the term “Bible Banners,” especially here in Georgia. It’s used by Georgia Republicans to refer to anyone who’s voting for Kerry on a separation of church and state basis. I recently drove through beautiful, scenic (read: ugly and industrial/agricultural) Barstow, CA. They saw fit to declare themselves an All America City. Not All American, mind, but All America. Because you know the San Joaquin Valley is such a fucking diverse place. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/12 "2004-11-01T04:45:00Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > Dude, I’m trying to decide who I want as the leader of this country for the next four years, and you think I’m so stupid I’m going to make that decision based on _sweat_ or the color of a fucking tie? I know _you’re_ not that stupid, nor most of the people here, but sadly I think a lot of people are. It seems like outrageous bullshit gets votes. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/13 "2004-11-01T04:53:24Z")
– The American people just say “Americans,” asshole. – Get Out the Vote also known as harrassing the apathetic – Energizing the Base also known as preaching to a choir of political dildos in stupid hats And the words that really grate on me: – “I have a plan …” Someday, somewhere, a politician will run on the basis of “I’ll just try not to fuck things up worse than they already are.” And I will call his campaign to volunteer. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/14 "2004-11-01T05:06:21Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > I don’t believe that, but you can just feel the superiority they show when they talk about these groups of society that can be so easily figured out. I think they have figured it out. It seems to be working, unfortunately. But then when you’ve got the media to help you out, it’s not really that difficult. See? …FEAR…terrorists…FEAR…9/11…FEAR…Osama…FEAR…weapons of mass destruction…FEAR…Saddam…FEAR…alert…FEAR…danger…FEAR… I would consider my life complete to hear Dubya get up to the mic, raise his hands in the air and say, “OOGAH BOOGAH!” [pregnant pause as he waits for cheering to die down] “God bless America.” And the crowd goes wild! ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/15 "2004-11-01T06:14:55Z")
In a poll of Catholic voters, they were just as split between Bush and Kerry as much as the general public (1% more of Catholics were for Kerry). So much for “the Catholic vote.” Then there are the “9/11 Widows.” Insignificant as a voting bloc, very significant as a lobbying power you don’t want to cross. Don’t forget the Yuppies and Guppies of yesteryear. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/16 "2004-11-01T08:53:15Z")
# You know, fuck it. I started putting together a post in…sometime in September, whenever I first heard the term “Security Mom.” I was going to post it in MPSIMS, but got chicken and never did. Never even finished it. I was going to have more cites and points. I have the utmost admiration for people who do these kinds of posts all the time, much much better. I suck at this kind of thing. I’ve stolen parts of this for other posts. Well hell, here’s my belated, unfinished Security Mom post. The day after tomorrow there won’t be any reason to finish it. I don’t even know if the links still work. This has some controversial stuff in it, but I hope it’s not moved to the Pit. I doubt that the kind of women who are supposed to be “Security Moms” or who know women like them, ever read the Pit. I don’t have a cite, but I keep hearing about these women. Apparently, from what I gather, they’re women who, under normal circumstances, might not necessarily vote for George Bush, but will this time because of terror fears. For unknown reasons, they give him high marks in the area of security. I just don’t get it. Beyond the fact that Bush’s policies have been devastating to the [environment](http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=17483), [women’s rights](http://www.truthaboutgeorge.com/women/), the [economy](http://www.crisispapers.org/topics/economy.htm), [education](http://www.prospect.org/print/V15/2/schrag-p.html), [civil rights](http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0434/indiana.php), [health care](http://www.fightforthefuture.org/bushrecord/bush_healthcare.cfm) (especially [children’s health](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1437&e=1&u=/nm/20040929/hl_nm/campaign_pediatricians_dc&sid=95864961)), and a [thousand other things](http://www.thousandreasons.org/), not to mention all the [people](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq_casualties) [his](http://www.antiwar.com/eland/?articleid=3709) [bogus](http://www.commondreams.org/) [war](http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm) [has](http://www.iraqbodycount.net/) [killed](http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/) [and](http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/coffin_photos/dover/) [wounded](http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/wounded/gallery.htm) [in](http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04262/381101.stm) [Iraq](http://civilians.info/iraq/), his record on terror has been abysmal. You think you’re safer with Bush? You’re woefully uninformed. In the first place, he let 9/11 happen by not paying attention to the warning signs. I’m not saying it could have been prevented, but it might have been. Then, after he had the support of the country and the world to go after Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, he sends an inadequate number of troops to do the job. Then, even though Saddam Hussein had no connection with 9/11, and Saddam and Osama hated each other, Bush pulls resources out of Afghanistan to invade Iraq. The intelligence showed that Saddam did not currently have Weapons of Mass Destruction, but the information was manipulated to make it seem as if he did. Everyone in the administration, from Bush on down, banged the 9/11-Saddam-Osama-WMD-FEAR-TERROR drums to gain support for his invasion. Where’s Osama? He got away. Where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction? They don’t exist. Now, we have a situation in Iraq that is beyond horrific. Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens have been killed. potential terrorists are being made every day when a loved one dies. Current terrorists are streaming across the borders into Iraq to help the insurgency. Say what you will about Saddam, and I do not excuse him or defend him for ANYTHING, the country was stable. It was a secular society where women could work and move around in a fairly Westernized way. Now they’re confined in their homes as religious extremists have practically taken over. # [http://www.vday.org/contents/vday/press/media/0407231](http://www.vday.org/contents/vday/press/media/0407231) Here’s more that should scare the bejezuz out of “Security Moms.” > [@](#): > > **50 Former U.S. Diplomats, Retired Military Say Bush Should Not Be Trusted; Bush Has Made America More Vulnerable To Terrorists** > [http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=37086](http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=37086) > > Today 50 former high- level diplomats, generals and admirals declared President Bush has made America less safe and called for his ouster. > Their full statement is available at: [http://www.diplomatsforchange.com/press/kits.shtml](http://www.diplomatsforchange.com/press/kits.shtml) ====================== > [@](#): > > **FBI, CIA, FAA, Customs, and the Defense Intelligence Agency ex-employees hold a press conference** > [http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0436/mondo3.php](http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0436/mondo3.php) > > A group of 25 former federal employees directly involved in the government’s counterintelligence and counterterrorism programs held a press conference here this morning to lambaste both the 9-11 Commission and the Bush administration for failing to hold government officials accountable for failures leading up to 9-11. > > The ex-employees, from the FBI, CIA, FAA, Customs, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, had firsthand knowledge of their agencies’ activities in counterintelligence and counterterrorism. > … ====================== > [@](#): > > [http://amconmag.com/2004\_08\_02/article.html](http://amconmag.com/2004_08_02/article.html) (this is a conservative site!) > **How to Lose the War on Terror** (fascinating interview) > > A CIA bin Laden expert’s lament > > One of the striking things about the Iraq War is the extent to which American foreign-affairs professionals—intelligence analysts, diplomats, and high-ranking military officers—recognize it is a tragically misguided venture. Among the most recent to speak out is the CIA officer formerly charged with analyzing Osama bin Laden. Known only as “Anonymous,” he is the author of the new book Imperial Hubris —a scathing look at the way the United States has conducted the War on Terror thus far. > > … > TAC: You suggest that al-Qaeda would be delighted to have George Bush stay in the White House because nothing could be better for their international objectives. How do you see this playing out in terms of—this is totally hypothetical—a potential terrorist incident, somewhat like the bombing in Spain? > > ANON: I said that al-Qaeda itself has said that it could not wish for a better government than the one that is now governing the U.S. because, on the policies of issue to Muslims, al-Qaeda believes this government is wrong on every one and thus allows their insurgency to grow larger to incite other groups to attack Americans. > … > > TAC: Do you think we could have pretty much gotten rid of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan at the end of 2001? > > ANON: I think if we had been prepared to act on the day of the attack or the next couple of days, we would have dealt them a very serious blow. Bin Laden had declared war on us in 1996, but the military had absolutely no response ready. When they did respond, they spent a month destroying 30-year-old Soviet junk. From Sept. 11 until Oct. 7, al-Qaeda and the Taliban dispersed. And then when we did get there, we used surrogates rather than our own soldiers. > … ====================== > [@](#): > > **Al Qaida 'Duped Allies into Waging War’** > [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3482358](http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3482358) > > One of al Qaida’s aims in its September 11 attacks on the US three years ago was to draw the west into military conflict on Arab soil, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s former envoy to Iraq acknowledged today. > … ====================== > [@](#): > > **Al Qaeda Seen as Wider Threat** > [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-qaeda26sep26,1,2548238,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-qaeda26sep26,1,2548238,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines) > > The network has evolved into a looser, ideological movement that may no longer report to Bin Laden. Critics say the White House focus is misdirected. ====================== > [@](#): > > **White House Wants to Cut FAA Budget** > [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040917/ap\_on\_go\_pr\_wh/faa\_budget](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040917/ap_on_go_pr_wh/faa_budget) > > WASHINGTON - The Bush administration wants to trim the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites)'s budget for buying new air traffic control equipment at a time when more planes are in the air. ====================== > [@](#): > > **Out of the Brig** > [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6012286/site/newsweek](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6012286/site/newsweek) > > Sept. 15 - The first U.S. government-declared “enemy combatant” in the war on terror will soon be released from a military prison in South Carolina under an agreement that will allow him to fly home to Saudi Arabia as a free man, administration officials tell NEWSWEEK. > > The agreement to free Yaser Esam Hamdi represents a stunning reversal for the Bush administration, which argued for more than two years that the former Taliban fighter was potentially so dangerous that he had to be detained indefinitely in solitary confinement with no access to counsel and no right to trial. So, either he’s an innocent who’s been held without charges, or he’s a big-time terrorist free to roam again. Which is it? Btw, where’s Osama? Oh yeah (checks calandar), October. ====================== > [@](#): > > [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0409160189sep16,1,579419.column?coll=chi-news-col](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0409160189sep16,1,579419.column?coll=chi-news-col) > > Nor was Bush fiercely resolute in confronting Al Qaeda. He came into office only three months after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole. At first, it was uncertain who carried out the bombing, but by the time Bush arrived, the CIA had pinned the blame on Osama bin Laden. Yet Bush let the attack go unavenged. > > That’s ancient history, you say? He proved his ferocity in Afghanistan and Iraq, you say? To some extent, that’s true. At the same time, his refusal to send large numbers of ground troops into Afghanistan allowed bin Laden and many of his confederates to slip the noose. > > He also declined to provide a sufficient force in Iraq to assure peace and order, giving our enemies ample opportunity to mobilize against us–as they did, and as they continue to do. If a Democratic president had fallen so conspicuously short in these military ventures, Republicans would portray him as a girlie man. ====================== > [@](#): > > **CIA ‘lacks resources’ for terror fight** > [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=11211](http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=11211) > > Scheuer lists 10 management and leadership problems in the letter, delivered just before the confirmation hearing of President Bush’s nominee to run the CIA, Representative Porter Goss, a Republican from Florida. A congressional source provided a copy to The Associated Press this week. > > “There has been no systematic effort to groom al-Qaeda expertise among Directorate of Operations officers since 11 September,” Scheuer writes, referring to the CIA’s most famous division, its clandestine service. > > “Today, the unit is greatly understaffed because of a ‘hiring freeze’ and the rotation of large numbers of officers in and out of the unit every 60 to 90 days.” ====================== > [@](#): > > [http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/232282p-199489c.html](http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/232282p-199489c.html) > > In a shocking security breach, police at Kennedy Airport released a man who had flown a suitcase full of lethal explosives aboard an airliner from the Middle East, authorities revealed yesterday. ======================== > [@](#): > > **Greenpeace protests plutonium consignment destined for France** > [http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040916214250.dap3ezf1.html](http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040916214250.dap3ezf1.html) > > The activists were protesting plans to unload 150 kilos of US military-grade plutonium, part of surplus stocks left over from the cold war, at the port in northwestern France. > > The plutonium is due to be transported to the Cadarache nuclear re-processing facility in the southeast of the country. ======================= > [@](#): > > **Justice Dept. audit finds FBI still has large backlog of untranslated intercepts** > [http://www.boston.com/dailynews/271/wash/Justice\_Dept\_audit\_finds\_FBI\_s:.shtml](http://www.boston.com/dailynews/271/wash/Justice_Dept_audit_finds_FBI_s:.shtml) > By Curt Anderson, Associated Press, 9/27/2004 13:27 > WASHINGTON (AP) The FBI has a backlog of hundreds of thousands of hours of untranslated audio recordings from terrorism and espionage investigations, despite large increases in money and personnel for translations since the 2001 terror attacks, a Justice Department audit released Monday said. > > In addition, the audit by Glenn A. Fine, the agency’s inspector general, found that more than one-third of al-Qaida intercepts authorized by a secret federal court were not reviewed within 12 hours of collection as required by FBI Director Robert Mueller. > > The audit was completed in July in classified form. The version released Monday was edited to remove sections classified as ‘‘secret’’ by the FBI… > > Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 123,000 hours of audio in languages associated with terrorism still had not been reviewed as of April 2004, the audit found. In addition, more than 370,000 hours of audio associated with counterintelligence had not been reviewed. … ======================= **President of Pakistan, who should know, says Iraq war a mistake.** > [@](#): > > **Musharraf: Iraq war a mistake** > [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4EC71609-18BA-4779-B0EC-FDC29F036684.htm](http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4EC71609-18BA-4779-B0EC-FDC29F036684.htm) > > Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf says the US-led invasion of Iraq has made the world a more dangerous place. > Though an ally of the United States, Musharraf on Friday described the invasion as a mistake and said it had complicated the “war on terror”. > > “It has ended up bringing more trouble to the world,” Musharraf said in a television interview. > > “The world is more dangerous because the Iraq war has aroused the passions of the Muslims more,” he added. > > “The war in Iraq has complicated the war on terror … it has made the job more difficult.” ====================== Oh yeah, I feel a whole lot safer! I would only urge you to rent and watch **Fahrenheit 9/11** , and/or spend a little bit of time at these sites watching a few short flash animations. It doesn’t take much time, and most of them are quite interesting. [Take Back the Media](http://www.tbtmradio.com/geeklog/public_html/search.php?query=flash+symbolman&keyType=all&datestart=&dateend=&topic=0&type=all&author=0&mode=search) (may have to turn your speakers down, the music ranges from great to horrific) A few favorites, but I like them all: Army of One (music by the Cranberries), Murder By Numbers (music by Sting),[Baghdad Snapshot](http://www.tbtmradio.com/geeklog/public_html/staticpages/index.php?page=20040606202455535) Action (music by Louie Armstrong), [911: An American Requiem](http://www.tbtmradio.com/geeklog/public_html/staticpages/index.php?page=20040606205339801) There are more here: [http://www.ericblumrich.com/animation.html](http://www.ericblumrich.com/animation.html) “Your Failure to be informed does not make me a wacko.” -John Loeffler == ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/17 "2004-11-01T10:52:54Z")
“The Bulletin Board Ranters” ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/18 "2004-11-01T12:50:21Z")
I’m just sick of hearing about the MILFs. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/19 "2004-11-01T14:04:17Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > I’m tired of phrases like “All African American voters will…” Or “Hispanic voters will…” Or “Women voters will…” > > Look, just because segments of the population share obvious physical or ethnic traits does _not_ mean they vote as a homogenous block! I was downright insulted by all the rhetoric surrouding the debates that involved such gems as “Women don’t like to see men sweat.” Dude, I’m trying to decide who I want as the leader of this country for the next four years, and you think I’m so stupid I’m going to make that decision based on _sweat_ or the color of a fucking tie? Yeah, you got mine here. I’m _so goddamn sick_ of hearing about shit like how the candidates are dressed or how many contractions they use when speaking. The pundits imagine that such non-issues drive the electorate, and by stressing this shit at the expense of analysis of the candidates’ positions on issues, they actually manage to make this kind of thing more salient in the mind of the public than things like, oh, _how the fuck we’re gonna get out of Iraq_ and _making sure that poor people have insurance_. Remember when the media used to go out and call bullshit on empty rhetoric and lies? Now they’re too busy covering photo-ops and critiquing the candidates’ cufflinks. The sad part is that the President’s necktie experts probably _are_ influencing the election . . . ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234/20 "2004-11-01T14:54:06Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > The sad part is that the President’s necktie experts probably _are_ influencing the election . . . Unfortunately, no one is ever going to admit that they voted for the candidate with the prettier cufflinks. The losing campaign, however, uses this kind of nonsense to discredit the candidate that wins. I’m not saying that every voter is an informed voter, but do you really think that the color of a candidate’s tie really sways a person that is involved enough in politics to get in their car tomorrow to drive to the polls. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goddamnit-security-moms/272234.md?page=2)