Wake of 9/11

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The Wake of 9/11

Are We Where We Should Be?

University of Maryland University College

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America suffered, what was initially thought, a devastating blow on September 11th, 2001. Something that only happened in other countries, to other people, had happened right here at home. We had been attacked; innocent lives were lost. Our economy slowed; people were in shock and disbelief. However, once it was clearly understood what had happened our nation jumped immediately into action to protect its people and its borders. This gave American society a newfound feeling of pride; pride in their country, military, and fellow Americans. Our country had taken their fear and pain and turned it into to something useful. But was this feeling here to stay? With the exception of those directly impacted by the events of 9/11, what impact has this event really left of the face of society as a whole? Have our attitudes changed, has our economy suffered? How about the overall psychological health of our society; has it been permanently affected?

Has society's attitudes really changed in the wake of 9/11? Before 11 September 2001, American society as a whole seemed to have had the unwavering belief that we were invincible; we believed we could not be attacked on such a large scale. As we saw the terror unfold on our television screens and the reality of what was happening began to set it, we watched in disbelief. Our nation, our superior and invulnerable nation, was being attacked right in front of us and we were helpless to do anything about it. We lost more than lives that day. We had lost the illusion that we were safe from this kind of terror; we had lost our sense of security. After all this, the attitude of society has not changed nearly enough considering the magnitude of 9/11. "Since the attacks, Americans have been subjected to a debate of homeland security that looks like a ping-pong match. On one side are those who advocate that we pay any price and bear any burden in a single-minded pursuit for fail-safe security. On the other are those who resist a stepped-up

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emphasis on security, asserting that it costs too much, makes the government too big and intrusive, and will fail in the end to stop determined terrorists" (Flynn, 2004, p. 64). Look at the airlines; while it is true that security has increased, how much more effective is it really? How often do you hear people complaining about the amount of time they spend going through security? After seeing the possibilities of what could happen, no amount of time spent in security should be too much. Even the improved security measures at airports may not be enough considering the fact that most bomb devices nowadays are made from plastics and will not set off the metal detectors. What about our last line of defense to keep the aircraft safe; the cockpit door? According to The Travel Insider, prior to 9/11, stronger doors on the cockpit were unwanted by the pilots and airlines for fear the pilots would be trapped inside in the event of an accident. The Travel Insider also reports, that the Federal Aviation Administration is overriding these objections and mandating stronger doors be installed. Now while these doors are bullet proof and do offer some measure of protection, they can still be collapsed by the sheer strength of a 225lb man running into it (www.thetravelinsider.info/security/0911.htm , 28 July 2005). In the State of the Union address of 2 Feb 05, President George Bush stated, "In the three and a half years since September 11th, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans" (www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/wh/rem/41479.htm, 28 July 2005). The actions he spoke of include things such as the PATRIOT Act, Homeland Security, and the War on Terrorism. Society seems to have accepted these new measures against terrorism as enough. However there is the opposing view that "If September 11, 2001, was a wake-up call, clearly America has fallen back asleep. Our return to complacency could not be more foolhardy. The 9/11 attacks were not an aberration" (Flynn, 2004, p.1).

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Has our economy really been affected by 9/11? Initially, it seemed that our economy was suffering a great blow. In an article written by Dr. Joel Kassiola, Dean of the College of

Behavioral and Social Sciences at San Francisco State University, stated, "Not only did The New York Stock Exchanges shut down for days for the first time in history, and then sharply decline, American corporations' earnings hit long-time lows. Unprecedented losses were sustained especially in the large industries of travel and tourism, culminating in an official recession. ...the President of the United States and Mayor of New York City, in between war preparations and counting the dead and missing, took time off to admonish Americans: "to go shopping," as a patriotic act because the shopping malls were deserted!" (http://bss.sfsu.edu/kassiola/worddocuments/despairandseptember11essay.doc, 27 July 05). The devastation of 11 September certainly raised questions of how well our economy could respond to such an attack. Largely, the answer seems apparent; it responded very well. However, I feel this is more of an indication regarding the intent of the attacks rather than an indication of the strength of our economy. This type of attack was meant to be more symbolic in nature rather than debilitating. In a 13 September 2001 interview on Open Forum, titled "Attack on America", Dr. Sean Evans, a professor of political science, stated, "America's power comes basically from three things: our economy, our military, and our ideas - the idea of freedom and democracy. Each attack was aimed at a symbol of these powers" (http://www.uu.edu/events/panels/attackonamerica-091301/transcript.htm, 27 July 2005). A more strategically executed attacked could have easily brought down our economy or at the very least had a much larger impact.

Has the psychological health of our society really changed since 9/11? The ultimate goal

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of terrorism is psychological one; it is intended to create a climate of fear. "Terrorism is

about psychology...it is about making ordinary people feel vulnerable, anxious, confused, uncertain, and helpless"