LETTER: Ads should be seen as such

n While I commend the efforts of the Boston Police Department and associates that worked tirelessly on Jan. 31 to keep our city safe, I feel they may have overreacted in its response to the “bomb scare,” (“Ad ploy mistaken as bomb scare,” Feb. 1, p. 1).

I find it odd that even though these devices were planted in cities across the country approximately three weeks ago, Boston was the only city with such a drastic reaction.

In both Seattle and Philadelphia, police simply removed the items as they would any other piece of graffiti, avoiding any public panic and without having to call in the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the bomb squad.

In the other cities where the devices were placed, authorities were not even aware of their existence until police in Boston reacted to a call by a T passenger and started closing the entire city.

I realize that what is basically a Lite Brite could maybe, possibly, from a distance, if you squint your eyes, look like a bomb, but really, are we that paranoid? I would hope that most people, while riding the T or walking around Boston, would be able to see something with lights and wires and not immediately think that it was a bomb.

I do believe that Turner Broadcasting System was foolish to not disclose the fact that they were not bombs to the proper authorities, but it is the people of Boston who reacted so drastically to what was really just a funny ad campaign. I would prefer to not live in a constant state of fear where everything that is not immediately familiar is considered dangerous and possibly a weapon.

It is this kind of insular and xenophobic fear that is the real problem. Besides, I would think that if Al Queda really sought to bomb Boston, that they wouldn’t emblazon their bombs with the image of an infidel animated television character.

Rory Conlin

COM ’10