The student news site of Iowa City High School

The Little Hawk

The student news site of Iowa City High School

The Little Hawk

The student news site of Iowa City High School

The Little Hawk

Staff Profile

Terror(ism)

By Carl Sessions
2.4.10

Over winter break, a Nigerian man named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate a small bomb concealed in his underwear on a Christmas flight to Detroit.
Although the bomb failed to ignite properly, the attempted attack still struck with a force and safety measures were stepped up across the nation.
When Senator Dianne Feinstein said that in order to prevent such acts, “I’d rather overact than underreact,” she voiced what many Americans were feeling. “Why be sorry when you can be safe?” was a question many asked in response to the critics of the increased safety measures.
The disruption of airports and the media fire that ensued after the attempted attack echoed this larger American sentiment. We are genuinely fearful of attacks by Al-Qaeda and we seem willing to circumscribe our world, including our freedoms, in ever-increasing ways to prevent future attacks.
The truth is that even though the bomb failed to ignite, it was still a success in the perpetrator’s eyes. The purpose of terrorism isn’t necessarily to kill hundreds of people, but rather to disrupt the feeling of safety of those they terrorize, and to strike enough fear into them that they’re constantly seeing shadows in the darkness outside their homes. Under these criteria, the terrorists won, a sentiment expressed in Osama Bin Laden’s video last month claiming as much.
Putting entire countries on the “no fly list,” patting down more passengers, and profiling Muslims probably won’t be effective in stopping another terrorist attack, but it is effective in assuring the American people that there is indeed something major to worry about.
The fear that has gripped our leaders and America’s citizens is exactly the kind of overreaction that Al-Qaeda is looking for, even after an attack that injured none, aside the fumbling terrorist.
The war on terror isn’t necessarily won on the sun baked sands of Afghanistan; it’s won here, with us, where they are attacking. As soon as we overreact and close our country and our lives to the outside, they’ve achieved their goal. When the next attack comes, I propose we accept it, acknowledge the tragedy, help however we can, but don’t overreact. That’s exactly what they’re hoping for.

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Little Hawk
$1775
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of Iowa City High School. For 2023, we are trying to update our video and photo studio, purchase new cameras and attend journalism conferences.

More to Discover
Donate to The Little Hawk
$1775
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (0)

All The Little Hawk Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activate Search
Terror(ism)