National Preparedness Month: September 2004

This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on August 8, 2004). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

Coming this September, on the three-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks: National Preparedness Month.

Because the prior 35 months were all about slacking off and letting the terrorists win, apparently?

This will be publicly announced to the world on September 9th, by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Why announce it nine days into the month?

Why September 9th? That’s awfully late, if it’s supposed to be the entire month. My guess, thinking like Karl Rove: this year’s 9/11 anniversary falls on a Saturday, so an announcement on the date or even Friday would only get a burst of free media on a weekend. But by timing it for the 6 pm news on Thursday, it’ll reach the Friday papers, and thus be fully-injected into all of the emotion-laden anniversary coverage, plus the Sunday morning talk shows.

The America Prepared Campaign has a downloadable calendar of events (PDF link).

There’s much more to all of this — check out This Modern World for more fun details.

Of course, keep in mind, that this isn’t politically motivated (the fact that they didn’t do something like this until election season, and that it all kicks off just after the GOP convention, is entirely coincidental).

Uh-huh.

Right.

iTunes: “Notorious” by Duran Duran from the album Decade (1988, 4:01).