I wonder if all the people rushing out to buy duct tape and plastic sheeting are the children and grandchildren of those folks who paid thousands of dollars to build bomb shelters in their backyards in the 50’s.
As a former CBR officer trained in Fort McClellan, I think that trying to protect yourself from chemical or biological attacks with duct tape is one of the most ridiculous ideas I’ve heard lately, and there are plenty of ridiculous ideas coming out of Washington DC these days.
Do you think there could be any connection between the increased beating of war drums trying to generate enthusiasm for America’s upcoming invasion of Iraq and the high alert the Bush administration has placed the nation on?
When people are scared enough that there is a run on plastic sheeting and duct tape, you know they’re scared enough to want to go after Sadam and Bin Laden, don’t you? What better way to drum up support for a war than to tell people that they’re in imminent danger.
While it’s probably prudent to always have an emergency kit available, I would argue that you are in less danger from a terrorist attack than you are from a possible chemical spill from an industrial plant, a derailed train, or an over-turned truck.