Random Thoughts, Notes, & Incidents

This is not the posting I expected to make today, nor is it one I wanted to. I had thought I'd have something to say about it being the Fourth - my favorite holiday - or perhaps about the Who concert last night - which was incredible, by the way - but instead there's more terrorism.

As I was starting up the computer to write my post, Leslie turned on the TV. Before I was even connected to the Internet, she was calling me down to see what was on the screen. It was a shooting at the El Al desk at Los Angeles International Airport. In the latest word, there were two killed (including the shooter) and at least two wounded.

We were warned, and we all feared in the backs of our minds, that this July Fourth would be a target for terror. But most of us decided not to let the terrorists spoil our day, and were going about our lives (at least I did, and the people I see going out to the park, or onto the highway to the beach).

My brother, Steve, was up last night for the Who show, and our other brother, Miles, had just dropped him off at the San Jose Airport to get his flight back to L.A. It now looks like he may be delayed a bit.

Not much is known yet about the shooting - I'll return to the TV in a moment, news junkie that I occasionally still am. My guess is that his target wasn't simply the clerk at the ticket counter, but that he was trying to board the El Al plane for other purposes. How wonderful for the terrorists to hit an Israeli target and an American target in one action, and to do it on the Fourth. How dare he.

I suppose the questions now would be, was he alone? Where are his accomplices? Did he have any baggage that's already been checked somewhere? Are there terrorists boarding other El Al jets in other American cities?

In other words: Is this it? Is it over for the day? Or is it just beginning? Have a happy Fourth. And God bless America!