I walked around my neighborhood at 11:00 o'clock last night. A warm wind blew the fall leaves around the streets. A few cars drove by. A cat hid among the bushes. House after house after house were full of people and families taking comfort in their safety and security. There were no other pedestrians at this time of night. No terrorists. No chaos. Everything was just fine.

Apparently though, everything is not fine. The Golden Gate bridge is going to be sabotaged. Strange packages could arrive in the mail at anytime. The malls are no longer safe havens. Airports and chemical plants are considered disasters waiting happen. A few isolated incidents and few more rumors have created a frenzy about how we need to overprotect ourselves.

This safety overreaction is the latest in a slew of overreactions our country has become known for. One premeditated and vicious attack on two of our buildings has led to three weeks of bombing on the other side of the world (with no end in sight). An anthrax mailer has led to a fear of all powdered substances. Everyone and everything has a potential danger.

The American public has always been known for overreactions. People stood outside movie theaters for days to get tickets to see Star Wars: Episode 1 (it's just a movie). People buy flags for their houses, cars, and clothes (it's just a symbol). People spend upwards of two months preparing for Christmas (it's just a holiday). People scream and faint in the face of a celebrity (it's just a person). People wave frantically in buffoon-like manners when they see a camera (it's just television).

I know all about freedom, sovereignty and the American way of life, but all these concepts are so broadly defined that trying to defend them gets a bit out of hand. We are bombing the Taliban and al Qaeda camps, but what is our goal? To defend the American way of life? Bring evil men to justice? Or just bomb the terrorists a hundred times more than they are capable of responding?

Just as a side note to the military, I have a simple request. We fought Jerry and the Germans in WWII, Charlie and the Vietcong in Vietnam. Let's fight Al and the Taliban in Afghanistan. It's not a real war until we give the troops a first name to call the enemy. But instead of first names and defined objectives, we're going with the old 'bomb the bastards' until they say uncle. We are a bully overreacting to a sucker punch.

Of course since we are a nation of overreacters, an intelligent enemy should have known what kind of response we would have to their terrorist tactics. I know the suffering militant people on the other side of the world wanted the United States to recognize them, but I wonder if they considered the ramifications of getting noticed. Sometimes, it's better to be anonymous. Unfortunately for them, it's too late. We've got more target practice to perform in the name of safety.

As far as my fellow Americans, we need to stop being our own worst enemy. The Taliban is not going to get you. The Angel of Death does not pass by houses with American flags on their doors. No one is going to send your anonymous ass anthrax through the mail. The mall is still as safe and dangerous as it always was (I once got punched in the face because a big dumb American guy wanted my parking space). Just because you happen to be in an area with thousands of other people, I'll wager two dollars that the least of your worries will be a terrorist attack.

We are already a safe nation. We don't need two security guards on every plane. We don't need anthrax vaccines for every man, woman and child. We don't need to overprepare for every possible terrorist scenario. Excessive safety comes at a serious price to freedom, sovereignty and the American way of life. Big brother is big enough.

The last thing I want is three cop cars stopping me as I stroll through my neighborhood at 11:00 o'clock at night, wondering what my business is. My business is freedom, and it's really no one's business but my own.

Chris Jungle is hazardous to your health.