I was in New York City last year hosting a special live radio show in remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks. On the show, I had several victims' family members join me to talk about the horrors they live with every day, what they are doing about it, and the progress that has been made since that tragic day. Ironically, during the show, the NYC authorities alerted us of a credible threat against the financial district, which is exactly where the show was being produced. It was a scary situation, and everyone took the threat seriously. Fortunately, the bomb threat never materialized.

Just last week, NYC authorities once again warned the citizens of New York of a subway terrorist threat, based on specific information obtained after the capture of three Al Qaida operatives in Iraq. The plot detailed plans to use "timed or remote-controlled explosives hidden in briefcases, suitcases, or in or under baby strollers." The threat also called for a collaborated detonation of 19 bombs, the exact number of Sept. 11 hijackers who were responsible for the largest terrorist attack on American soil. Thousands of authorities were immediately deployed throughout the city, as Mayor Bloomberg called the current threat "the most specific terrorist threat" officials had received to date.

Unfortunately, there are some people in this country who are so cynical and politically motivated they place partisan politics above concern for terrorism. Just hours after the NYC threats were announced, the far left-wing website Buzzflash.com ran a headline stating, "NYC Increases Subway Security After Threat. Rove said to testify in CIA leak case. Coincidence?" Buzzflash contributor Tom Wieliczka later editorialized: "Now, is it just me being cynical — or are The Republican Party and Karl Rove just trying anything and everything to get the heat off Rove and The Administration, by making a 'Classified Threat' to New York … the Lead Story?" MSNBC's Keith Olbermann questioned the timing of the terror alert and Karl Rove's grand jury appearance on his show "Countdown," sarcastically proclaiming, "Stop what you're thinking. It's just an amazing coincidence."

I know that politics have become more partisan and heated in recent years, but preparing for possible Al Qaida terrorist threats in the U.S. should NOT cause knee-jerk apathy and conspiratorial thoughts among any sane citizen of this country. Domestic terrorist threats are a real and serious danger! Personally, I think Bush made a huge mistake with the initial invasion of Iraq, but that's not the issue here. Terrorism has recently wreaked havoc on London, Madrid and Bali. All events had connections to Al Qaida, which was also the group with specific plans to terrorize New York City.

To ignore or dismiss these threats as something to be unconcerned with is an absolute absurd and outrageous notion. By the way, citing the Bush administration or federal government for involvement in some mass conspiracy is also bone-headed given the fact that the federal government downplayed the threat, saying that it should be taken seriously but that the source was of "doubtful credibility." It was the New York City officials who called for serious law enforcement and preventative measures to be immediately taken.

Senator Russ Feingold was in New Hampshire recently while talking about terrorism. Feingold said to a crowd of people, "If there are people out there out to kill us, we should stop them first. …There is no room for simply trying to 'understand' al-Qaida. I'm no pacifist. I'm somebody who believes if somebody is trying to kill me and my kids, we better stop them." He also stated that the nation's "top priority" should be to destroy the terrorist networks. Feingold has been fundamentally opposed to the initial invasion of Iraq, but also believes that we do need to defend ourselves from terrorist groups like Al Qaida. This apparently crossed the line for out-of-touch peaceniks like New Hampshire resident Leah Caswell, who thought that Feingold sounded too "hawkish". This woman is an example of someone in this country who apparently thinks that we do NOT have the right to defend ourselves against terrorists.

The implications are clear. Everyone in this country should be fully engaged in the vital role of taking every domestic terrorist threat seriously. I'm no fan of Karl Rove, but he has no conspiratorial role in terrorist threats made against this country by the barbarians that make up Al Qaida. Every man, woman and child should be united in preparing for domestic terror threats. As James Carville told a group of Northwestern University students last week: "No Kumbayah crap." Don't be a foolish conspirator in the face of real terrorist threats.

Casey Hoff ([email protected]) is a UW student and host of "New Ground with Casey Hoff," live Monday through Friday, 9-11 a.m., on Madison 1670 The Pulse.