[AZ-Observing] Winter Star Party

Per usual everyone including the government is getting into the act.  Laser 
pointers have been around for years, perhaps not as powerful as today's. 
Several incidents, which I have my accuracy doubts about (sounds more like kids 
and kid adults), and suddenly hysteria reigns.  If one looks at the 
configuration of an airplane, little private ones and some commuter ones 
excepted, it would be darn near impossible to direct a laser beam into the 
cockpit of a plane at altitude and speed due to the angles involved.  The 
cockpit isn't under the plane. Perhaps landing or taking off yes, might be 
possible but watching planes coming and going to Sky Harbor I have my doubts 
about that even, unless your right at the landing site as it touches down or 
takes off.
As for a terrorist I seriously doubt they would be standing out in the night 
sky testing a laser pointer on an airplane.  Instead they would be trying to 
obtain and plot much more sophisticated weapons to do harm with.  And a 
laser pointer does not in any way represent a shoulder fired rocket launcher 
nor does it point the same way.

We are now entering the era of big brother under the guise of Homeland 
Defense.  Coming up are national ID cards, implanted trackers on everyone 
(yes they are testing them on some 2,000 volunteers right now), cars that 
can be tracked via satellite, a new bank card system without which no one 
could buy anything, doing away with money entirely (using a card instead), 
miniature implants in our paper money to track it, wire taps without 
judicial authorization, the right for any law enforcement person to enter a 
home without justification, one world government, etc.  In other words under 
the guise of security we are unsuspectingly giving away our freedoms.  If 
you doubt this read the Homeland Security Act.

Yet nothing is done about illegals, drug runners, criminals and possibly 
terrorists entering the country in AZ and now more so in New Mexico (Deming 
area).  Other than just lip service.  Recently they even took away the air 
observance drone used here in AZ, in spite of its success.  Supposedly for lack 
of funds.  Yet we send billions off to foreign countries who support terrorist 
activities.

Now we have people trying to take it upon themselves to direct what we can and 
what we can't use/do at star parties.  Even suggesting the use of 
security persons to enforce that ruling?   Sorry but I still think this is a 
free country and the majority still rules not some idiot who thinks because he 
organizes something he has the almighty authority to make the rules.  Three 
or four published incidents do not make for a total ban.  In other words 
what a few people did does not warrent all the hysteria about lasers.  Heck 
the government used laser telescopes long ago to measure distance to the 
moon such as the one now residing at Central Arizona CC, sans laser now.

Sorry to digress here but mass hysteria is not the answer nor is the suggestion 
to ban an item that nearly all people use properly and for a rightful purpose. 

Chuck Crawford

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Polakis" <tpolakis@xxxxxxx>
To: <"Reply-To:az-observing"@freelists.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 12:00 PM
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Fw: Winter Star Party



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