Jesus wept...

It's nice to know that the government is taking care of the important things, like artists using benign bacteria and Howard Stern saying "anal sex." Forget that deficit stuff...

...but we're deficient in morality.

"Or sit around and do nothing because 9/11 is just so scary..."

do you remember 9/11? your sentence isn't even amusing. and yes, i am willing to let my federal government take down potentially hazardous artwork to keep us safe.

if that artist were a terrorist, and the "simple bacteria" turned out to be the smallpox virus, then you all would be blaming george bush for not stopping it and probably accusing him of releasing it himself.

But he isn't a terrorist.

And the bacteria isn't dangerous.

And I am not willing to surrender my rights as an American citizen to let the government run all over the place and shut down art exhibits and other expressions of an individual's conscience on thinly-reasoned "could bes" and "maybes" that have no basis in reality.

The fact you are, when the return on your security is non-existent, is sad.

John Ashcroft says danger is imminent.

Tom RIdge says to expect an attack this summer.

State Department says terror is at an all time high.

Rumsfeld says he has no idea whether our actions are actually preventing terror.

"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me."

-Pastor Martin Niemöller

Unless your White Christian and Republican. Then you get to goose step in safety.

g, I consider your argument weak.

If you read the article, you would see this artist has had honorable exhibitions all over the world and is an esteemed professor at an American University. Much of the group's work centers around bringing awareness to such biohazards. To confiscate those materials based on rumor and innuendo alone, from non-reliable sources, seems at the least unlawful.

Though you are correct, Liberals (and much of America) would blame this administration should something go horribly wrong that could have been prevented. This war seems a good place to start.

Reads to me like g has taken the first step to becoming one of the 99.9 % of Iraqis who voted for Sadaam Hussein.

Start forking over your rights in the name of "safety" and that's where you end up. Safe from everyone but the very people whose job it is to protect you.

Actually, this whole thing reminds me of when the Reagan administration refused to allow Canadian Farley Mowat (author of "Never Cry Wolf") into the U.S. because the concept that God's creatures should be allowed to live on this Earth were deemed a threat to U.S. security.