This is just down right sad:

WHILE ATTORNEY GENERAL Alberto Gonzalez assures the U.S. Senate that the
Bush Administration’s domestic eavesdropping program is a vital “early
warning system” for terrorists, another homeland security measure strikes at
a local elementary school.

The kindergarten class at Lakewood’s Taft Elementary was planning a field
trip to NASA Glenn Research Center. It’s a popular trip because it’s free,
because the NASA staff already has age-appropriate tours that fit well with
school curriculum, and, well, it’s outer space, for pete’s sake. They’ve got
rocket ships.

And NASA works the education angle hard. According to the agency, “A
major part of the NASA mission is ‘To inspire the next generation of
explorers . . . as only NASA can.’” And of course they talk about math and
science. NASA says about 400 school groups took tours last year.

But school principal Margaret Seibel says this year’s trip for Taft
kindergarteners — we’re talking 6-year-olds here — had to be canceled due to
homeland security concerns.

Since new security regulations went into effect in May 1, 2005, access to
the Visitor Center is restricted to United State citizens. All others might
be terrorists.

No tourists from France, no exchange students from Tokyo and, no foreign
national kindergarteners on field trips.

“I was told they would not make any exceptions,” Seibel says.

Because two kids in the kindergarten class are not U.S. citizens, the
teacher had to cancel the trip.

Article continues

here.

Now how many other kids (and more importantly – parents), are going to blame
those couple kids for this. This kind of behavior by our government is one that
promotes hate and bigotry. Sure Bush can keep us safe – by closing everything
down.