There was a time when events shaped history. It was the 'facts on the ground' that would influence the future and help us understand the past. We might debate the meaning of it all and we were free to debate the events that triggered changes.

Nowadays, however, things are different. Today, as we noted, 'facts on the ground' take a back seat to feelings. Think about this. Our borders, spanning thousands of miles, were breached by terrorists, employing a single 'hole' in the system. Clearly, events of 9/11 ought to have us fortifying all of the system, and not just airports and visa applicants. Nevertheless, with thousands of miles of frontiers, that is exactly what we are doing.

Why? because we feel that securing our safety might alienate illegal aliens. What is worse, is that millions of people concur with that kind of thinking. The 'facts on the ground' and the reality of promises of more 9/11's mean less to us than the 'feelings' that many have.