Gee,James, I didn't realize we had so many people from New Hampshire up
there! <GRIN>.
"James J. Wentworth" wrote:
>
> After I posted the previous message, I remembered a few incidents that will
> help illustrate the situation in the US for our non-US list members. If you
> have a recording of the theme music from "The Twilight Zone" television
> show, it would be apropos to play it while reading these accounts:
>
> A couple of years ago I took a taxi downtown (in Fairbanks) to go shopping,
> as my truck was in the shop for repairs. I struck up a conversation with
> the driver, who was convinced that United Nations troops were preparing to
> invade and take over the United States to make it a part of the "New World
> Order" one-world government. He pointed to the marker decals on the reverse
> sides of road signs, which he claimed were markers that the UN troops would
> use to navigate during their invasion.
>
> He lamented the fact that there were so many "faggots" (homosexuals) in the
> US military that they would be unable to repel the UN invasion, and he
> expressed anger at gun control advocates, who he accused of trying to disarm
> Americans so that we couldn't resist the UN occupation. He said that he
> planned to destroy road signs when the invasion began, to confuse the
> invading UN troops.
>
> Instead of laughing or getting angry, I asked him two questions that gave
> him pause. "Why do you assume a global government would be tyrannical?
> What would be so bad about a one-world government that was *of* the people
> of the world, *by* the people of the world and *for* the people of the
> world? If we all worked together as fellow Terrans, there would be
> virtually no problem we could not solve." I could have knocked him over
> with a feather, as his thesis had always been: one-world government =
> totalitarian superstate. He flinched and then said: "Gosh, I never thought
> of it that way." I then pointed out that democracy is spreading around the
> world, which is encouraging trade in ideas as well as goods. "If a
> one-world government is ever established," I said, "It will be because the
> citizens of the democratic nations want it, not because their governments
> force it upon them."
>
> During the 1998 "Golden Days" festival, I had a booth set up in the town
> square. I had interesting conversations with two rather bizarre locals.
> One was an (American) Indian who was a very devout christian. He was
> warning people about the "Grays" (the alien beings from outer space who are
> supposedly visiting our planet in UFOs). "Them grays ain't from outer
> space, that's just what they want you to believe. They're really demons
> from hell!" As he walked away to spread his warning elsewhere, I thought to
> myself: "If they exist, I hope for their sake that they never land in HIS
> back yard..."
>
> The other village oddity was a grizzled old man who found it very
> significant that Michael Kennedy (a relative of Senator Edward Kennedy) and
> California Congressman Sonny Bono (a pop music star turned politician) had
> both died in skiing accidents within just a few months of each other. He
> was convinced that their deaths were the result of some dark conspiracy. He
> almost whispered (after looking around to make sure no one was within
> earshot), "First Kennedy dies skiing, then Bono gets killed skiing too.
> What do you think caused that?" I replied, "Uh, maybe they were both lousy
> skiiers?" and laughed. At that, he angrily skulked off.
>
> During the Y2K preparations last year, Jim Bohannon received many disturbing
> telephone calls on his national radio program. Many people were convinced
> that President Clinton planned to use the expected chaos as an excuse to
> declare martial law, while others believed it would be the opening for UN
> troops to take over the country. One memorable caller told Jim that he was
> clearing away the shrubbery around his house to prepare for Y2K. Puzzled,
> Jim asked what that had to do with Y2K. The caller replied, "I'm making a
> clear field of fire so I can see to shoot my neighbors if they try to come
> and steal my food." Jim was simultaneously shocked and amused at his
> comment, and he used it as an example for the rest of 1999 when he appealed
> for calm.
>
> I'm not saying that most Americans harbour such weird beliefs, but a sizable
> number of them do. The fact that such nonsensical ideas can take root here
> is evidence that our educational system is in sad shape. Those of us in the
> metrication cause have our work cut out for us!
>
> Jason
--
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apt. 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"No one from the Audubon Society has yet documented the
finding of a modified barium swallow."
--Byrd Ona Wyng, Forensic Ornithologist
"Free Billy Rubin!" ---Medical Technologists' protest cry
