REFLECTOR: GA Scare Article in Boston Globe

Al Gietzen ALVentures at cox.net
Fri Aug 27 10:48:27 CDT 2004


Andy;

 

You have speared the heart of the matter.  You need to adapt and send this
to the folks at CSIS, and to your congressman, and to your local newspaper,
and anywhere else you can think of.  And others of us may want to do the
same.  

 

Al

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Andy Millin
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 6:46 AM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: RE: REFLECTOR: GA Scare Article in Boston Globe

 

This is the same paper that published that nasty article on Tim

Crawford.  It was titled "Type of plane that scientist flew to his death

has a crash history."  It was by Michael Rosenwald.  For those that

weren't around then, Tim was a prolific builder, scientist, and all

round great guy.  He died from a stroke while flying his Longeze.  When

the plane crashed into the sea he was already gone.  They wrote an

article on how the plane was a death trap and we should all be living in

fear as they are falling out of the skies.

 

I believe several of us wrote the paper but no one received a response

and I do not believe they printed a correction or retraction.

 

Anyway, here was my reply:

 

Hello,

 

My name is Andy Millin and I am a father, business owner, general

aviation pilot, and I am an American.

 

I read the story "Analysts warn of small-plane terrorism threat" by

Karen Schaleron on your website today.

 

The story saddens me greatly. Not because there is a potential threat to

my security, but that there are those that will point at freedom and cry

"security threat." Even worse is the media, hungry to sell, that gives a

pulpit to this sensationalism.

 

My belief is that the terrorist that attacked on September 11, 2001,

were not just trying to kill Americans. Their primary goal was far more

insidious. They wanted to attack the American way of life. Our freedom.

You know, the thing we have been fighting and dieing for since 1776.

 

The aftermath of the attacks has given the terrorists almost complete

victory. Huge economic downturn. Many industries were crippled. Aviation

still has not completely recovered. They managed to get our government

to spend itself into a daunting deficit. We now have security screening

systems at our airports that are very expensive and only provide a

feeling of security. It has been shown on multiple occasions that an

intelligent person with malicious intent WILL find a way beat these

systems.

 

The pervasive paranoia has led to the massive security expense and

effort surrounding any large public event. The Olympics, the Democratic

and Republican National Conventions, etc. If I were the terrorist I

would be quite happy. "Look at them spend themselves into the ground.

They run around with fear and mistrust. Look at them strip away their

hard fought freedoms. We are winning."

 

If you don't believe me, just try to go up inside the Statue of Liberty.

You can't; too much of a security risk. This is a national monument to

freedom and the American way and it is now off limits. I weep.

 

As for the threat from General Aviation. I cannot deny that if someone

were intent on hurting others and wanted to use an aircraft to do it

they could. But how many other scenarios could we come up with using a

car or truck? Timothy McVeigh did not attack with a four place Cessna

172. And yet I haven't seen a release from David Heyman espousing the

danger of Ryder trucks. I haven't seen the Boston Globe story on how the

trucking industry could be then next terrorist tool.

 

The story infers that ALL aircraft should be screened before being

allowed to take off. Will we also propose that every person must go

through a security screening before they can enter an Interstate

Highway?

 

If you really want to be sensational, tell the whole truth. I've got the

headline for you. "Small Group of Ordinary People Thinks of Thousands of

Ways We are Vulnerable to Attack. Recommends We All Stay In Our Homes."

"Sounds like the safest plan" says David Heyman.

 

This type of sensational scare story is literally doing the bidding of

Osma Bin Laden. I beg your paper to focus on the strong American Spirit.

If you want an example, here I am. I would rather die than give up any

of the freedoms that are my birthright as an American.

 

With best regards,

 

Andy Millin

 

 

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