Two years into the war on terrorism, the question remains: Are we any safer?
Many column inches have been expended over the past few days in the debate over one simple question: "Are we any safer?" The fallacy behind this question lies in the perception that we were ever safe to begin with. Europe and the Middle East have dealt firsthand with terrorism directly for longer than most of us have been walking this Earth. So what is the difference? Proximity? Convenience? Politics? Lack of visible security? All or none of the above? Or have we here in the US simply fortunate that terrorists wanted to stay closer to home?
The nature of terror is that it is capricious and unpredictable. One moment is a celebration of normalcy, the next chaos, blood, and destruction. We found out on 9.11 just how terribly true this can be. Of course, the natural reaction was to tighten security at airports. Suddenly, there were armed National Guardsmen walking the terminals at most of our sirports. Lost in the frenzy and fear, however, was the realization that our air travel system is but one potential hole in the dike. We are the most open of open societies. The downside of this, of course, is that the US is nothing but a collection of open and inviting targets. This was as true before 9.11 as it is now.
So ARE we any safer now? From where I sit, the answer is clearly no. We may be more aware, and we can certainly take some comfort from that. Still, we are as vulnerable as we ever have been. No, the next attack probably will not involve someone flying an airplane into a building, but our borders and our ports are almost impossible to protect adequately. No terror alert, no airport strip searches, and no amount of immigration control will provide ironclad security. That is the risk we live with by living in freedom.
I am not saying that not being any safer means that increased security is a pointless endeavor. Let's not delude ourselves, however. We may be more aware of the risks we face in post 9.11 America, but we are not any safer. Get used to it, because not only is it our current reality, it always has been.
