Terrorism

Joe Guy

December 7, 2005

English 111: 8:30

Essay 5

Vile Acts

Terrorism is a very sensitive subject all over the world. Although terrorism has been a part of this world for many years, it has not been a big concern until just recently. "Terrorist acts are often deliberately spectacular, designed to rattle and influence a wide audience, beyond the victims of the violence itself" (Terrorism: Questions and Answers). September 11, 2001, for many of us Americans, was a life-altering event that made a huge impact on our country. Loved ones were lost, lives ruined, and many people lost that sense of security that could not have possibly been shaken the day before. Since that fateful day, many of the daily routines that some Americans once followed were altered in some way. Sporting events increased their security requirements to enter the facility, and airports have raised their security standards to make a set of tweezers nearly impossible to carry onto an airplane. But, on September 11, 2001, terrorists struck fear into millions of people not only in America, but all over the world. The terrorists wanted to make a statement. They wanted to show their dominance, their ideas, and their determination. But, at the same time they showed their ignorance. When they decided to attack our freedom and way of life, all they did was waken a sleeping giant. After that day, almost every U.S citizen supported President Bush as he declared war on terrorism.

Terrorism is a global threat with global effects; ... its consequences affect every aspect of the United Nations agenda from development to peace to human rights and the rule of law. By its very nature, terrorism is an assault on the fundamental principles of law, order, human rights, and the peaceful settlement of disputes upon which the United Nations is established. The United Nations has an indispensable role to play in providing the legal and organizational framework within which the international campaign against terrorism can unfold". Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General

On the morning of September 11, many citizens getting on one of the four planes hijacked had no idea what that day had in store for them. All of the people in those planes knew that they would be safe and would make it to their destination without many delays. Although no human being is guaranteed anything, safety is something that many people never put much thought into and probably take for granted. Waking up that morning, the terrorists knew what their day was going to be like. They had a drawn-out plan of when and where their life would end. They believed that Allah, their God, would take care of them in the end: "The religious terrorist often sees violence as an end in itself, as a divinely inspired way of serving a higher cause" (Terrorism: Questions and Answers). This means that the terrorists believe that their main purpose in their life is to serve Allah. All of the terrorism that they inflict is considered holy. "But for al-Qaeda, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, the Palestinian group Hamas, and other religious terrorist organizations, mass killings are considered not only acceptable but "holy"(Terrorism: Questions and Answers). What kind of leader, or God, would possibly believe that killing innocent people is honorable? So, after the terrorists began to carry out their murderous plan, Americans wasted no time in fighting back. Shortly after America's fight towards terrorism and our freedom began.

Even while the hijacked planes were forced to fly into the two World Trade Center buildings, a few people already decided to defend our country against evil. They showed the courage that every American citizen would soon learn and begin to show. President Bush said, "In the normal course of events, Presidents come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union. Tonight, no such report is needed. It has already been delivered by the American people. We have seen it in the courage of passengers, who rushed terrorists to save others on the ground -- passengers like an exceptional man named Todd Beamer." This single event not only saved hundreds of lives but also showed that the United States was no ordinary country, and that we would not go down without a fight. And if terrorists did not know what they were getting themselves into before that fatal day, then they surely know now that September 11 was the biggest mistake of their lives. They are now in the fight for their lives.

Although the war on terrorism has not been won, it continues to be earned every single day. United States soldiers risk their lives to make our lives more enjoyable. Soon after entering one of our biggest targeted terrorist breeding grounds in Afghanistan, the U.S quickly began to realize the