Atlanta -- For the last 15 years, we have lived in a climate of close calls.
Even though there have only been a few terror attacks since 9/11 that resulted in loss of life, there have been plenty of attempts: A botched car bombing, explosives smuggled in underwear, a bomb hidden in sneakers.
They have eroded our feelings of security and altered our behavior -- from how we board airplanes to how we react when we see a bag on the side of the road.
Now, after a tumultuous week that saw four incidents in three different states, we are confronted with fresh questions: Could these have been prevented? Is there a terror cell? And with a pivotal presidential election entering its final weeks, how will the candidates handle the attacks? How will we, the voters?
This is how the next few days will go.
First, we"ll search for motives
Call it resilience or call it resignation but life will very quickly cycle back to normal. Viewed from a cynical eye, it"s just the tides of human attention washing in and then out again.
From a more hopeful vantage point, a sense of normalcy, coupled with vigilance, is the most measured reaction to the threat of terrorism.
This is the M.O. of every great city that has been struck by terrorism. We saw it after the Boston Marathon bombing. We saw it after the Paris attacks.
Following Saturday"s bombings, New Yorkers made a show of pointing out that, when you live in a big city, especially one that"s survived an attack like 9/11, being tough and resilient is the only way.
"I am so proud of my fellow New Yorkers. Most of us defied the urge to lash out in fits of hysterics," one New York City resident wrote in a Facebook post. "Of course, we shouldn"t have to fear when the next attack is going to happen, but they"re going to keep trying. And we"re going to keep staying strong."
Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment