I am amazed at the deteriorating conditions of Homeland Security. The security of this nation is about as bad as I have ever seen it. People I have talked to feel the same way and we all agree on one thing: if we want to protect this nation and ourselves, we will have to do it ourselves.

I will give you a good example of just how sharp Homeland Security and Law Enforcement really is.

I drove my wife to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics yesterday for a dental appointment. We live about 35 miles from Iowa City, where the University is located. We were about 10 or 12 minutes from Iowa City when we noticed a UPS truck parked in a deserted spot, by a gravel pile. There were no houses there and the only vehicle I have ever seen parked in that area was a Highway Maintenance Truck for the State of Iowa.

I slowed down to see if I could see anyone or any sign of someone being there and there was not. My wife and I both commented that this was strange, to see a UPS truck parked in an area like that.

I TRIED to contact the Police in Iowa City and did contact Security at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. But, no one seemed to care and no one paid any attention, EXCEPT, some other average American people like myself. Security and Law Enforcement simply ignored the situation and acted as if I bothered them for trying to point out something strange.

I remember Homeland Security telling us all to be on the lookout for strange things and to let people know when we see something out of the ordinary. So you do report things and you do let people know, and they turn around and ignore you. They sometimes act as if you are some kind of weird person because you felt something was not right.

This is NOT an isolated incident because several times I have tried to notify someone when something is not right and they not only ignore it but actually almost chew you out for calling them. I even called Homeland Security in Washington once to try to report something and they just brushed it off and no one pays any attention.

What if that UPS truck had been taken over by terrorists or someone and the packages in that truck were being substituted for ones with explosives or there were packages targeted to go to certain places, etc., and one of the terrorists had on a UPS uniform and drove the truck?

I do not think that is such a far-fetched concept in this day and age and we are told to be on the alert for strange things. Yet, they ignore us and they do not listen. We bring something up about something different or strange and this is what happens.

I will repeat the name of this little article in closing: Our Homeland Security is worse than it was before 911 and there are no signs it is improving. Law enforcement seems to have no idea of what Homeland Security is.