The Color Purple

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by One Citizen

Apparently there's a spankin' new reason for a terror alert to be issued. It is so new that it caused the Administration an embarrasing situation because Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge didn't have a proper code level to cover the threat.
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/need28_20040528.htm

There were reported widespread complaints of confusion over the fact that the terror alert level wasn't heightened as well, even though it warranted a surprise press conference by the U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. The call for increased vigilance by Ashcroft instead of Ridge caused far more confusion and concern than normal.

As you may recall, his announcement had something to do with the "nonspecific but credible threats" and "upcoming political conventions." Not only was Ridge not aware that the USAG was going forward with the alert, he refused to bump the color level even though Ashcroft announced that there are terrorists in the U.S. preparing to attack.

So in order to avoid confusion and possible widespread panic over this new type of threat, I'm proposing a new color and level for the Administration's terror guage.

A new level of alert for the Homeland Security Advisory System should be considered to cover future specific (yet unspecific) threats for the upcoming Republican political conventioneers only. Then the rest of the country could sustain its already heightened vigilance at the not-so mellow "yellow" level.

CODE Purple* would be an accurate reminder of why the Attorney General is believed to have made his announcement in the first place -- to try and stop the President's popularity from dropping to record lows due to widespread and growing reports that George Bush sanctioned the immoral and un-American policy of torture and abuse of his prisoners of war.

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION