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My
Perception of Risk
By
Meredith McFarland
A great deal of discussion has taken place
since the
terrorist attacks on September
11, 2001, regarding America’s
perception of risk. No detail regarding terrorism and risk has been too
insignificant for the evening news and talk shows to overanalyze.
Safety,
security, and homeland defense are among the main topics of
conversation for
friends, family, and coworkers. Presidential debates and political
campaigns
are focusing on homeland security and the war on terrorism as never
before. A
new federal department has been established, integrating numerous
existing
agencies and expanding organizational missions. Advanced education
classes in
emergency management and homeland security are being established at
universities
across the nation. The vocabulary of average Americans has increased to
include
words and phrases like “orange alert,” “war on terror,” “detainees,”
and “axis
of evil.” Long lines, inspection of laptops, meeting your family at
baggage
claim instead of at the gate, and removing half of your clothes in
airports has
become second nature.
It has been over two years since the 9/11
attacks; we have
since realized that life will never “return to normal.” It is
understood that
fear of another terrorist attack will probably never be erased, and
that some
Americans continue to feel vulnerable in their own backyards. Scholars
are busy
debating about whether that fear is rational or justified. Unlike the
majority
of Americans, I do not feel as if my perception of risk changed after
9/11.
As I received word than an airplane had
stuck one of the World Trade
Center
towers, my immediate and unwavering thought was terrorism. It greatly
surprised
me that others did not share that same view—some thought the pilot had
lost
control of the aircraft due to mechanical difficulties, or that some
medical
emergency on board had rendered the pilot unable to properly fly the
aircraft.
But to me, to consider that the attack had been anything but terrorism
was
inconceivable. Certainly, this was not because of some great knowledge
of
terrorist groups, methods, motivations, or otherwise, but simply
because it has
always been evident to me that America
(and our wonderful way of life) is not loved by all, and is cursed by
some. Who
could ever forget previous attacks on our citizens, like the original World
Trade Center
bombings, and the attack on American citizens overseas? I have always
assumed
that America
was, and continues to be, the most likely target of all. America
has always been under threat, has always been vulnerable. Where then,
did
American citizens get that false sense of security pre-9/11? Our
military
prowess? Our faith in government?
I feel no less safe, no more vulnerable, no
more scared or
fearful now than I did prior to 9/11. The terrorist threat, which has
always
been present, will continue to fester. This will be the case regardless
of the
wonderful job that America’s
military, intelligence community, and others are doing. Regardless of
the
defense mechanisms that we have in place, the protective shield of
multiple
intelligence agencies sharing information, and the might of our
military,
American will suffer another terrorist attack. I never once thought
that we
woke up on Wednesday,
September 12, 2001, at greater risk for a terrorist attack
than we did on Monday,
September 10, 2001. It is
simply a matter of acceptance to realize that we have always been at
risk. It
is surprising to me that it took such a horrible day for us all to
finally
understand that we should never take our freedoms or way of life for
granted.
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