Better to be silent than out of step when Bush bangs the drum
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
With the Stars and Stripes seemingly hanging from every other balcony and with people who believe they are at war issuing calls of "God Bless America" every other minute, this is no time to step out of line. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution may ensure the right to free speech but, for now, it is easier – and safer – to keep quiet.
In the aftermath of last week's terror attacks, America is a country united in the belief that it is the blameless victim. In the media, on the streets, in workplaces across the country and among politicians there is plenty of graphic talk about how these attacks were so casually inflicted, but there is very little discussion of why.
One lawyer in Washington, who asked not to be named, said: "In my office the atmosphere is very strange. Everyone is acting really patriotically but without even really thinking. I find it easier not to say anything. No one wants to hear about American policies or how they might have influenced or caused what has happened."
[Full text: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=94851]
Carl
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