Irrational Terrorists

Of course the Department of Homeland Security listed more terrorism targets in Wyoming and Indiana than New York and California. From the Red State perspective, that's just being rational. That the Mule Day Parade in Columbia, Tennessee is more important than the Golden Gate Bridge or the Lincoln Tunnel should go without saying. Here, people believe that places like Columbia, South Bend, Indiana, or Olney, Texas (home of the One-Armed Dove Hunt which I'm sure is on the list) are the real America. New York and San Francisco aren't.

RedStaters wonder why Osama bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center in New York City anyway? Sure, there were a lot of people in the building, but bin Laden acted like the World Trade Center was a leading symbol of America. To the contrary, people in the RedStates would have been really shaken if bin Laden had attacked Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, the Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, or some of the famous wheatfields of Nebraska. The terrorist attack on New York was so shocking mostly because people in rural areas weren't used to thinking about New York City as part of the country. If the terrorists attacked Omaha, people would know they were attacking America.

That's why the Department of Homeland Security listed so many targets in places like Indiana. They know that any rational terrorist would strike there next.