Judson Cox, June 14, 2004

There are two groups of people in the United States, those who believe we are at war and those who don't. For the latter, the announcement that 7 al Qaeda terrorists are being sought in our country, planning large scale (9-11 style) attacks, must have come as a shock. For the rest of us, the USS Cole bombing, the Marines killed in Yemen in 1992, the first World Trade Center attack, Khobar Towers, the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, 9-11 and bin Laden's 1998 statement, that it is the duty of all Muslims to kill American citizens, military or civilian, along with our allies around the world was convincing enough.

The beheading of Nick Berg served as a horrific punctuation to this bloody list.

The arrest of Abu Hamza Masri, who is believed to have been setting up terrorist training camps in Oregon, is another reminder that we are vulnerable to attacks from within our borders. According to Jerry Seper ("America 's Open Border," Washington Times -- Dec. 10, 2003) "Sleeper cells also operate in at least 40 states from Florida and New York to California and Washington -- living low profile lives, often in ethnic communities. The September 2002 arrest of 7 members of a terrorist cell in Lackawanna, NY, just south of Buffalo, was a first major clue to their existence. Between 2,000 and 5,000 operatives are said to be in the US, many of whom are hiding in ethnic communities throughout the country, populated by millions of foreign immigrants, including illegal aliens for which the US government cannot account."

How is it that many Americans go about their daily lives completely oblivious to the dangers we face? The main reason is press coverage; take North Carolina as an example. How many of you are aware that a Hezbollah terrorist cell was discovered in Charlotte, NC, in 2001? North Carolina is a hotbed of terrorism. NC's willingness to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants makes my state a major jumping off point for terrorists, drug smugglers and illegals of all stripes.

Police officers from New Jersey to California have informed me that more often than not, illegal immigrants present North Carolina driver's license as identification. South Carolina 's Attorney General has asked US Attorney General John Ashcroft to require airlines to refuse to accept licenses from NC for boarding planes. The IRS and INS have both requested that North Carolina require proof of citizenship prior to the issuance of driver's licenses, but the NC DMV continues to require only a signed affidavit and a small processing fee. Indeed, Wayne J. Hurder, North Carolina 's director of driver's license certification maintains, "Our job is not to force compliance with immigration laws."

If you rely on the NC press for your news, this is probably the first time you have heard that our state compromises the security of the entire nation. The press refuses to report anything that would reflect poorly on Governor, Mike Easley (Democrat). The coverage this issue has received was necessitated by long lines of immigrants streaming into NC DMVs. Easley pledged to "tighten up" driver's license requirements, and the papers reported it done. However, North Carolina requires legislative action to change DMV policy, not gubernatorial fiat -- this legislation has yet to materialize. North Carolina 's policies are more lax now than before 9-11.

For this reason, The Families of the Victims of September 11th, 2001 issued the following statement:

To voters in the North Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary:

We, the 9/11 Families for a Secure America, are writing to urge you to support Sen. Fern Shubert in the Republican primary for Governor of North Carolina.

The membership of 9/11 FSA is made up the families of those murdered in the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 and of survivors of those attacks. We know that the American drivers' licenses the terrorists possessed were essential tools that enabled them to carry out the murders of our children and parents, husbands and wives, sisters and brothers. In fact, the 19 terrorists possessed a total of 63 US-issued drivers' licenses from three states. These licenses were the "valid ID" that enabled them to board the aircraft they used as weapons of mass murder.

Despite the crucial role played by drivers' licenses in letting the 9/11 conspirators murder our family members, a few states, INCLUDING NORTH CAROLINA still issue licenses to illegal aliens and the unknown terrorists among them.

YOU have the power to end this dangerous practice. You can do it by voting for Fern Shubert.

FERN SHUBERT IS THE ONLY PERSON IN EITHER PARTY running for Governor who has been working to change your state's licensing law to prohibit illegal aliens and terrorists from getting North Carolina official "ID."

If there had been more people like Fern Shubert holding political office before September 11, 2001, the mass murderers might never have gotten licenses, might never have been able to board those aircraft -- and perhaps our loved ones would be alive today.

We can't bring home to us those we lost on 9/11/01, but we can help prevent more terrorist acts by asking you to elect Fern Shubert as Governor of North Carolina.

Respectfully,
Board of Directors, 9/11 Families for a Secure America

This endorsement was issued to every news outlet in North Carolina -- no NC newspaper even mentioned it! When the next 9-11 attack happens, will the press demand investigations into why it was not prevented and why we were not warned? I am warning you now -- so is Sen. Shubert, the 9-11 Families, John Ashcroft and President Bush. By failing to report threats to our national security, the press is aiding our enemies by keeping us ignorant. They are, in effect, committing sedition by omission.

Judson Cox is a political columnist from the mountains of North Carolina. He is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most popular and influential voices of his generation. As a college student, and a young entrepreneur, he has a unique perspective on matters of politics, economics and culture.

Copyright © 2004 Judson Cox