Right now I can only see one direction that the United States and some other nations are heading and it’s the one place most of us don’t want to go. That place is just the opposite of Heaven. I don’t care whether it’s politics, crimes, terrorism or just plain stupidity, our planet seems to be heading in a direction away from sanity and safety to a global survival strategy of the biggest gun wins everything. I finished writing this column on Monday when the Windham/Raymond school district was unexpectedly shut down due to some kind of threat.

First I want to say thanks to all the law enforcement personnel that are performing their duties in their usual outstanding manner. Unfortunately some in the press along with elected officials like the mayor of New York City have thrown all of law enforcement under the bus just to make headlines or a political statement. I know that there are a few bad apples in all occupations but they are more than likely to be fired than last for a career. It’s not to say that some changes are needed because things can go stale when not properly corrected and updated.

I look at Maine’s system of having the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigate police shootings. It’s a case of government investigating government and I have some unease about that especially since, if my information is correct, all cases have exonerated the police.

I personally would like to see a grand jury come up with a decision just because it appears to have less government influence over the jury making the decision.

At the same time, please remember that even Windham has had some lawsuits which most have been settled out of court and out of our reach to know the results.

Also topping the news lately is the U.S. Senate report of the CIA’s supposed use of torture of terrorist subjects in order to obtain information vital to shut down future terrorist actions, especially against the United States. I have no doubt that this report was anything more than political payback by the Frankensteins in office for far too many years. I came within seconds of being a victim of terrorism when I was stationed in Germany in 1972 and you’d better bet that there was no warning at all it was going to happen. If you think that it can’t happen to you, just think what it’s like to remember parking beside a car that exploded seconds after leaving the parking space next to it. Please also remember the Americans that have been so savagely beheaded by the Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq who are now spreading to Libya and perhaps have sympathetic followers doing the same thing around our world. What’s even worse is that Senate report placed even more American soldiers and State Department personnel in harm’s way.

In last week’s column I mentioned that the Windham town councilors were to vote on approving cluster subdivisions in all residential areas in Windham. That council meeting was canceled because our town councilors can’t drive in inclement weather. I don’t think cluster subdivisions should be in every zone that permits residential development. I have the sneaky feeling that some of the public land in cluster subdivisions will not be fit for public use.

But I must state that I heard very positive comments about how the RSU 14 staff handled the evacuation of students from schools in Windham and Raymond. Now is the time to look at how so many vehicles can be parked next to town and school buildings in Windham. It’s something we are used to but that’s why I was almost killed by terrorists. Terrorists love complacency. It’s not if, it’s when.

Lane Hiltunen of Windham says there’s another kind of terrorism called measles, mumps and whooping cough. Care to guess why?