USA: Terrorism in the U.S.
Originally publish in the Utopian Status of America volume 1, issue 2, Fall 2001
We used to have enemies that were easy to identify: they were Germans, Japanese, or Russians, they looked differently, they talked differently, they wore uniforms and were part of countries we could hate. But that time is gone. While we can still have enemies like Iraq, we now have far more enemies in fanatics and terrorists. Some, like Timothy McVeigh, are domestic. Others, like Osama Bin Laden, are Middle Eastern. Certainly some are European or Asian, as well. What do they all have in common? Nothing but an utter disrespect for human life. So how do we combat an enemy that doesn’t seem to exist, that is normally an invisible part of the world’s societies? Should we nuke the Middle East? Should we arrest anybody that disagrees with the United States or threatens us in any way? No, those kind of extreme actions turn us into terrorists.
Certainly we can increase our defenses, and perhaps be better prepared. Anybody who has flown into London knows that they take airport security far more seriously than we do, but is that really the solution? I think we need to look at why we are a target. We aren’t the richest country in the world, but we are rich; we aren’t the freest country in the world, but we are free; we aren’t the biggest country in the world, but we are big. So what is it about the United States of America that makes people hate us? It basically boils down to the old saying, ‘the squeaky wheel gets the grease.’ As the remaining superpower, we have taken it upon ourselves to lead the charge on so many issues that affect others: not just politically, but commercially, in entertainment, and basically in how people think. We are molding the world in our image, and that threatens people who think differently than we do.
Very few Americans know what it’s like to be a militant Muslim, or Jew, or Catholic, or Protestant. We have no idea of the mindset that allows somebody to take innocent lives in the name of religion or homeland, especially the concept of terrorists who are willing to die themselves. We need to understand these groups, and to do so, we need to acknowledge them and listen to them. Far too many times we will do what we think is right only to enrage the people we thought we were helping, simply because we didn’t pay attention to their real needs. Many of the Afghani terrorists are soldiers trained by the United States to be terrorists against the Russians. Perhaps that training and “help” we offered was shortsighted, or even dangerous. We are the annoying friend who tries to help, but often messes things up, only we can’t be shooed away, we continue to try and help, and make enemies in the process. We should not stop helping those who request it, but forcing our help on uncooperative peoples is never in our best interest.
We cannot predict terrorism, nor can we stop most terrorist acts. Surprise is terrorism’s ally and we can only react to an act of terrorism. Our best defense is to be proactive, preventing others from becoming our enemies, and severely punishing those who have. Active intelligence gathering to find and monitor those who may act against us can also be very effective. Is terrorism our fault? Absolutely not. Though, If we ignore it, it won’t go away, therefore, it’s our responsibility to put an end to it. The war on drugs was a bust, but then, drugs were never at war with us, maybe we can make the war on terrorism a little more successful.
I hope everyone has a place in their heart for all of the innocent people, the men, women, and children, the Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others, who have been killed in terrorist attacks, not just here, but all over the world, may they rest in peace.
“Fighting terrorism is like being a goalkeeper. You can make a hundred brilliant saves but the only shot that people remember is the one that gets past you.” – Paul Wilkinson
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