TEN YEARS AFTER
Copyright (c) by Rick Yost

Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm sorry it's been so long since you've heard from us. I remember from our last phone call that you're not getting any news of the states up there where you are. In fact, there seemed to be many things that have happened in the world that you were not aware of. So let me try to catch you up on some of the highlights of the last few years.
Way back in 2007, after that bunch of terrorists from India set off a nuclear explosion in Pakistan (which I know you are very aware of), the cloud of radiated dust, thrown miles into the atmosphere, took off across Afghanistan and countries further North and Northeast. Aside from the millions who were vaporized and burned from the initial explosion, millions of people have died from radiation sickness. Even those who evaded the cloud of deadly dust, have no doubt died from starvation, exposure or lack of medical facilities in the war demolished areas in that part of the world. It might be years before they can send personnel into the area to evaluate the situation. And of course the radiation will, eventually dissipate, in about 10,000 years.
What's left of the population in far southern Pakistan has been forced back to an existence, resembling the 16th century. All communication with both Pakistan and Afghanistan is non-existent. There isn't much use trying to talk to people who are dying and begging for help when you know there's nothing you can do for them. The UN does make efforts to air-drop food, water and supplies, but that's as far as anyone is prepared to go.
There is a coalition-defined perimeter around what has been designated the fallout area, which encompasses all of Pakistan, Afghanistan and huge portions of 8 other countries, preventing any traffic in or out. They call it 'Containment'.
Later that same year, prime minister Sharon of Israel, in a freak accident at a military airfield in Israel, was killed when the plane he was on blew up while refueling.
It was apparent after investigation, that it was an accident. Unfortunately, it was seen as a Palistinian terrorist act by the Israeli government and the Israeli people.
In the next five months the Israeli army came close to completely annihilating the Palestinian people. The level of large scale, mass murder and inhuman atrocities committed by the Israelis on the Palestinians was swift and sure. It was almost over before the post-nuclear information and news systems got word of it out to the rest of the world. But the rest of the world had their own problems to deal with and except for global condemnation, there has yet to be any action taken against them.
Those Palestinians that are left, are either dying in hospitals or starving in Israeli prison camps.
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It was finally decided in 2008 that the spores of Anthrax that had been showing up, all over the country, had always been in the atmosphere and in the soil. Until they were sent through the mail back in 2001, we hadn't even developed the technology to sufficiently detect them. Now we know that it has been these same spores that have caused many common ills in the world from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, to the common cold.
Before they were able to effectively, get a handle on it, many well-known people were killed by Anthrax including; Nelson Mandela, Alan Greenspan and Stephen King.

The infamous Osama Bin Laden, of course who escaped all the bombing and the fallout in Afghanistan, resurfaced in 2005, with his own website on the internet and is regularly trying to revive his loyal followers into a resurgence of terrorist actions. And he has been very successful too. After a series of shootings and bombings, which started in 2005, it has become all out war here on our home soil. American Muslims, tired of being attacked, killed and persecuted, started fighting back. There are several cities in the states where civil fighting between Christians and Muslims have taken thousands of lives on both sides. It's not what you'd call a civil war, it's been described as a 'War of Faith'. The military has their hands full trying to maintain order.
In 2007, the new Pope, who took over the job in 2002, was pushed into calling on all Catholics to start practicing some degree of birth control. This monumental reversal of policy and departure from scripture has caused a shock wave across the Catholic world.
This was the result of political pressure along with trade and financial sanctions invoked by a U.N. decision, led by the U.S and Britain. It was blamed on the fear that future generations faced starvation because of the sad state of global agriculture. Of course this has turned the Catholic populations of the world into raving lunatics. They too have started their own efforts to fight both the Christians and the Muslims.
Now, even more than ever, America is seen as the land of murderous devils.
Any American nationals that are living in other countries are said to be on their own.
It has become dangerous to show any alignment with any religion, for fear of reprisal or out and out attack. Everywhere you go, you see the remains of churches that have been blown up or burned.
Two years ago, I was in Denver later in the evening than I should've been and saw a band of what I guess were Muslims or Bin Laden Loyalist's or whatever, trashing and burning one of the last Christian Book stores in the area. I saw hundreds of bibles thrown onto a bonfire, right out on the curb. I got out of there just as the Army showed up. I could hear the gunfire all my way out of town.

Sadly, it seems Bin Laden may have been successful after all, in completely tearing down the American way of life and turning the entire world into his own version of a backwards, anti-technological, semi-society. If things weren't bad enough, before he hit the scene, there are now reportedly violence or civil wars waging in 67 different countries around the world. America, the self-proclaimed, global police force that it is, has hundreds of thousands of troops, right in the middle of the majority of those conflicts.
Apparently because of it's, isolation, Australia seems to be one of the calmest places on the planet, although they are having financial problems and a cholera epidemic.

Since Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, are in the midst of all out war with one another and since America never became independent of Middle East oil, there is virtually no traffic on the US highways. Millions of cars and trucks and motorcycles and eighteen-wheelers, sit rusting scattered alongside the highways, in driveways, at curbsides and in parking lots. Sporadically, the Army does make gasoline available, but the cost, is too expensive for most folks. When I last checked it was $47 per gallon.
Even if you have the money to buy a tank of gas, you need not only the blue ration card you were issued, but you have to obtain permission in writing from the local military, which involves providing documentation showing a clear need for travel, the route you plan to take and then you are told when you can go fill up (usually weeks later) and when you are allowed to begin your journey.
You see a lot of bicycles, some horseback commuters and every-so-often, a motorcycle.
When you do hear the strange sound of a motorcycle, you know it's obviously ridden by some rich guy, who didn't have all his money in the market when it crashed in 2003.
Any long-range travel or shipping of food or domestic commodities is done by rail.
All of the old rail routes, all but forgotten, are now the most important lifelines in the country. They are very heavily guarded and patrolled by the Army.
Because of the security of the trains, they are the safest way to travel. The last few years has seen a drastic rise in on the road car-jackings, murders and pirating from the hundreds of highwaymen groups that litter the landscape, raping and killing anyone who comes close to their camps. It's a mess!
Of course all the television is controlled by the government now, so you don't know what to think of what information you get from them, but from news reports we get from independent radio broadcasts, we hear that 'big city' life is pretty rough.
We've heard of riots in L.A., Chicago, Houston and New York and constant clashes between civilians and the military everywhere. This has made the already stressed out, armed soldiers you see on street corners and at the train stations, even more volatile and fearsome.
Like us, the majority of folks in rural areas of America, have gone back to the basics of growing their own food in gardens and raising small livestock. Still isolated reports in many areas tell of malnutrition and starvation.
We're lucky to be close to a fairly large community where there is still some phone service. Without it we'd have no internet at all. Still, our place is far enough off the roads to be fairly safe from scavengers.
Most electricity in homes outside of the major cities, is supplied by methane powered generators. We use ours only when absolutely necessary.
Remember those huge round candles Aunt Corrie gave us for Christmas of 2003, before she died? Well we found those up in the attic last year. Now we use them in the den, like when some of our neighbors come over on occasion and we all sit around and play guitars and sing into the night. It reminds us of happier times.
Your little grandbaby turned 15 last may. He's becoming a very responsible young man. He's good at helping Deborah and I with the endless chores that need tending to here like feeding the chickens and the hogs and helping me mend the roof. He and I have designed a family shelter we're planning to dig next spring in the backyard. I've been scouting for materials everywhere I go. I just need some more wood and brick. Yeah, you'd be surprised how much he's grown since you've seen him. He asked about you both the other day. I told him if things work out, we might try making the trip up to Canada to see you next summer. I don't know that we could afford the train, but if we stay close to the rail and the other patrolled roads, we shouldn't run into any trouble. We'll see what our money situation looks like then.

So, anyway, here we are in the beginning of 2011, still pluggin' along.
Unless you're in the military, a government employee or you're living on help from the government in a large city, you're pretty much on your own.
We're doing fairly well here in Colorado. There's not nearly as much violence here as in other parts of the country. For the most part, everyone here seems to busy themselves, just trying to make it day to day. Most people are still friendly enough, though they won't talk much and everybody carries a weapon of some sort. But most of us here on the side of this mountain do our best to help each other out when one of us has trouble or needs a hand.

Anyway, I'm on a community computer here in Denver and my times up, so I have to say bye for now and get back home.
Deborah and little Tommy and myself send you all our best.
We love and miss you very much.
Keep your faith to yourself.
So long from the new America

Your son, John