I recently had a conversation with a woman who expressed to me her fears concerning the transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to a prison in Illinois. To loosely quote her, “When they were in Gitmo they were surrounded by water…now they can escape into America.” It took some restraint on my part to not explode with a rebuttal, but I tried my best to listen to what she was saying. I’m glad I did because I soon realized that the invalidity of her facts really wasn’t that important, what mattered was the sentiment she was trying to get across.
It brought to my attention the growing number of Americans who have a real, if not slightly irrational, fear of terror attacks on American soil; a fear which is not entirely dissimilar to the fear felt during The Cold War. Of course, it is only natural to have some lingering trauma from the acts of September 11, 2001. One of the main reasons 9/11 was so frightening was the shock felt at having an attack on “American soil.” Up to that point, we had been pretty spoiled in not having to live in a war-torn country in which stepping outside your door presented a fairly good chance of being killed. The closest and most recent comparison I can make to 9/11 would be Pearl Harbor. So, what, about 60 years in between the two disasters? To some, that seems like an impossibly long period of peace, so I think we’re pretty lucky.
What I’m really trying to get at is this message for Americans: DON’T GIVE INTO YOUR FEAR! The only thing that can come from doing so is irrational paranoia, ignorance, racism, distrust, and maybe, just maybe, another Cold War. I don’t know about you, but the thought of another Cold War is much scarier than the thought of another terrorist attack. I know it’s hard to break through that wall of fear, but you simply have to open your mind.
I have great hopes for this country. I truly believe we can change our ways and evolve into a healthier, more respectable country which can be admired for its hope, flexibility, and promise- as it once was.
