Letter: Color coding of terror status is childish

Thursday, March 21, 2002 | 8:54 a.m.

Turning on the TV news on a recent night, we were surprised to see what appeared to be "Romper Room" or perhaps "Sesame Street." Wondering why a children's show would be on so late at night, upon closer inspection we realized it was none other than President Bush's old buddy, Tom Ridge, his appointee to head the new Office of Homeland Security.

Mr. Ridge, a grown man, was earnestly explaining proudly his new "terror colors" on a kindergarten-like cart with a straight face, too. When we could finally stop laughing, we managed to listen to his explanation.

Evidently when it is green, everything is OK and there's not much chance we'll be bombed or something. And then there is blue, orange, yellow and (gasp) "red" -- bad! When it is red, Tom tells us to be afraid -- to be very afraid.

The only disappointment in his presentation was that the chart was not in the shape of a pie. You know, like when we were 5 years old. We all would have then been better able to understand this incredibly complicated system that Mr. Ridge has worked so diligently to design.

Each day in our formerly intelligent country, it appears that we are drawing closer and closer to entering "The Twilight Zone."

RUTH DI MAGGIO