There is much fear about what lies ahead for our country following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. America is now facing the very real threat of bioterrorism here at home.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is hard at work tracking leads in the anthrax hoaxes in Tennessee and across the country. Whether people are playing a practical joke or trying to instill fear in an enemy, it is a very serious matter and should always be treated as such. As police are called to test samples of suspicious powder that are part of a prank or a very sinister effort to scare others, they are not able to perform their critical duties of protecting and serving those in the community.

Local governments are now wrestling with how to prosecute these individuals. It is important that we send a strong message that this type of action can not be tolerated.

For more information on America's Homeland Security, log on to http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/. If you would like information on how the State of Tennessee is protecting its folks, see the State of Tennessee's Homeland Security web site at http://www.state.tn.us/homelandsecurity/.