Mouzr's Mayhem

By Amanda Mouser

"I can't think right now. It's too hard to concentrate. The world is going to end. Why does today matter, when there may not be a tomorrow." These were some things that went through my head as I sat dumbfounded in my chair awaiting my macroeconomics tests on September 11 in the wake of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. Life as we knew it up until that day was peaceful and everyone, for the most part, was getting along. We never saw it coming, or did we?

Terrorism isn't new and Osama bin Laden isn't an unfamiliar face. This is the second time he has bombed the World Trade Center. The first time was in 1993. He didn't succeed, but it wasn't because we kept him from it. We have set back and let him and other terrorists come into our country to do as they please, whether it is to enjoy our tourist attractions or to bomb our major economic centers. We bombed ourselves just as much as he did. This may callous and absurd, but it's the truth.

I went to a seminar today on terrorism and found out that foreign policy is the last thing that presidents and presidential candidates think of They are more interested with domestic policy, especially in the beginning of their term or while they are running for office. This, in the most part, is because this is what J. Q. Public wants to hear. No one wants to be faced with or think about terrorism or war. We have an optimistic; "every one is good" outlook on life.

The scariest thing is that it's not over. It has just begun. Terrorists and supremacist groups see this a great time to take advantage of the US. We have let our guard down and have shown that we are vulnerable. Terrorist war is different than wars we have seen before. Terrorists don't care about human life whether it is their's or other people's. Many terrorist attacks are for religious reasons. Not many people are dedicated enough to die for what they believe in, especially on their own free will. This makes me scared, because I know that terrorists will stop at nothing and this was proven on September 11th.

Should we fight back? Hell yes! We have no other choice under the circumstance. We have to let Osama bin Laden, his followers, and others who want to hurt our nation know that we won't stand for it or they will simply do it again. We may have been an easy target in the past and maybe naive, but not anymore. We will stand, unite, and fight. Security will tighten, but not just for the short-run. I feel that this has made us smarter and stronger as a nation and as Americans.

My challenge for the month: As in the words of my politician science teacher, "Don't let the bastards get you down."