The United States Postal Service wants to send a message to the American people: we are alive and well and continuing to deliver America’s mail as we always have through every crisis in this nation’s history.
Employees of the USPS are also sending a message of hope and courage by going to work every day and processing and delivering the mail that is vital to our economy and to our lives. We are proud of our employees and their dedication to serving the people of America.
The CEO of a large national company recently wrote to express his thanks to the Postal Service and applaud employees for their “bravery, resolve, and accountability.” He added that employees of the USPS were “among the growing list of today’s heroes in America … and are an integral part of all our lives.”
The Postal Service is an integral part of America’s life, and we have no intention of allowing terrorists or anyone else to change that. We will continue to be at your office, on your doorstep, and at your mailbox every day, and we will continue to do all we can to ensure that postal employees and the mail are safe and secure.
We have adopted tough, new measures to protect the public and our employees, including purchasing new mail screening technology and protective gear for our employees. The equipment will be used in select areas to kill any biological agent, including anthrax, inside or outside mail. USPS also has ordered the environmental testing of 230 postal facilities around the country to make sure they are not contaminated, and thousands of postal employees have been tested and/or are receiving antibiotic treatment as a precaution.
Realizing that knowledgeable employees and citizens using their common sense is the best defense against these threats, the Postal Service is educating the public, employees, and businesses on how to handle the mail safely. We have sent 145 million postcards to households throughout the country explaining how to safely handle suspicious mail. The postcard is posted online at www.usps.com.
The Postal Service also is investigating to see that justice is done and is vigorously pursuing all leads, threats, and hoaxes. And we are offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of terrorists who attack the mail. Citizens can provide tips by calling 800-CRIME-TV.
President Franklin Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and that is as true today as it was when America was facing World War II. Of course, we are facing real dangers in America today, but it is not the first time, nor will it be the last. What we must not do is give in to people who would have us live in fear. An open and free mail system is an American treasure worth fighting for. We must keep living our lives and going to work, and for the Postal Service that means delivering America’s mail just as it has for 226 years.
Mary Jane Smith
Postmaster, Malibu