What level/color of the Homeland Security Advisory System are we currently in? What is the difference between guarded/blue and elevated/yellow? Does it really matter? The unfathomable events of September 11th put everyone on edge in the United States, but when the dust finally settled, Americans showed their resolve. Although Americans have gone back to their "normal" way of life, everyone is looking around the corner for the next big event. Is it going to be chemical or biological weapons? Is it going to be a truck filled with dynamite? Where and not if, are they going to hit next?
    The fact is the biggest weakness in the United States homeland defense isn't against large attacks, but the very small ones. A year after 9/11 the greater metropolitan area around D.C. was paralyzed by the risk of being the next victim of a sniper. Schools, gas stations, and stores shut down. Kids were not allowed to play outside. In the grand scheme of things, was this a larger threat to the locals than a group of terrorists bombing Union Station? The sniper did end up with a far less number of victims than the terrorists of 9/11, but he was still able to produce enormous side effects. The sniper drew huge media coverage and had the whole nation was looking for him. He created an economic down turn for businesses, especially gas stations, that were located near the Washington beltway. If he was not caught, would life have gone back to normal for those in the area surrounding Washington, D.C.? Would a lot of gas stations still be in business?
    What makes America, America are the freedoms that the people have everyday. If Americans had to endure the same random bombings as the Israelis do, would life be able to continue as it does now? A few well-calculated minor attacks on America's shopping malls this Christmas holiday and the already weak economy could suffer a knockout blow. Bombs sent in boat shipping containers could stop the prosperous import/export trade that fuels America. Much like the sniper attacks; terrorists could create a huge aftershock of paranoia from random acts.  
    Americans have a tendency to over exaggerate small problems and make them into larger ones. Americans love to talk, speculate, debate and bring in so-called experts to give their opinion. Terrorists could generate fear by just sending out letters or rumors on where or how they were planning their next attack. The Internet allows people to disseminate information faster than ever before and most people will take it as fact as long as the author states it came from a reliable source. After 9/11 people decided not to take their children trick or treating in shopping malls because an email ensured them that terrorists were planning an attack there for Halloween. Terrorists could increase the effect of their attacks by manipulating America's email.  
    Terrorism is a very real threat that Americans are going to have to deal with well into the future. The American people expect to be protected by the US government, but are not ready to give up their freedoms that the country was founded on. It will be a lot easier for the US government to protect the people from larger attacks than smaller ones because the smaller ones deal more with disrupting the conveniences of living in the world's last standing super power.