Yesterday I watched in horror as the drama unfolded in Boston. I have participated in more than one marathon and was horrified by what I saw in the tragic minutes during and after the bomb went off at the marathon’s finish line.
This morning the president declared that any act of detonating a bomb with the intent of injuring others is an “act of terror.” To me, this was a true act of hatred. This translates to a total indifference to the suffering and injuries of others. The targets were any age group. As a result a child as young as eight was among those that were killed. Once again, children are the targets of people who are bent on harming others.
While I am watching the news and reading everything I can about the incident, I cannot help but wonder if taking guns away from Americans will lead to the use of bombs, instead. In fact, I wonder which of the two issues is more important, gun control or terror attack prevention. I heard on the radio that anyone can find the information on line to build a bomb with roofing nails, ball bearings and other small, body harming, material. Even though I believe in a free internet, this gives me pause.
I still believe that there must be a way to prevent disturbed individuals and groups from doing this kind of damage to American citizens. I also believe we are seeing the beginning of terror attacks that can be even worse. Or, it may be just a matter of time before these devices carry biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear materials. I remember writing an article about this, in order to be accepted into a program of study at the doctoral level at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The only thing that has changed since then…is 9/11.
Many scholars have written that it is not what but when, something like this will happen within the borders of the United States. In an article written by Dr. Adam Lowther, Terrorism and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Threat to the United States, he states, “…Within the national security establishment there is a pervasive belief that the United States faces imminent attack from a terrorist network in possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The question is not if, the question is when. Whether the attack will be chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear none can say, but few doubt that time is running out….”
I don’t know about you; but, this scares the you know what out of me. We are a free society with open borders. We could not possibly be aware of every threat of terror before it happens. Homeland Security, and other intelligence and law enforcement agencies are not God. No matter how many “eyes in the sky” we have, we cannot stop every incident. I once had a sociology professor who stated, “…as we continue to have terrorist incidents, we will see many of the freedoms we now have disappear.” I think he was entirely right about that.
As citizens, we must be more vigilant when it comes to the freedoms we see being compromised. Our country was set up to function with the American people as the guardians of our constitution; and we were told to watch our government and question authority by our forefathers. We are not a semi-sovereign people, if we continue to stay in touch with resources that tell us what is happening, in regard to our rights. I could go into great detail about the issue regarding rights after 9/11; but this is not the forum for airing those issues.
I am not arguing that law enforcement and federal agencies should not have what they may need to deal with attacks like this. I am arguing that along with investigating and trying to prevent these gruesome attacks, comes the need to make laws that may take away the freedoms we have today. Scholars and citizens have an obligation to know what their government is doing and to question that activity.
JOYSTECHTOOL 