I do not pretend to speak for everyone, but I don't think moving to Hawaii is the answer (though the climate would be a nice change of pace). I do feel, however, that there is a problem with all this worrying. Prudence and pride have been replaced by fear and anxiety in the daily lives of Americans. Truth be told, America is seriously lacking confidence now. Disaster lurks, or so we are told, around every corner. Our economy is tanking, terrorists are plotting, Saddam is deceiving-we are all just so afraid these days, we might as well hide in our backyard bunkers, turn on our radios and wait for the Red Army to obliterate the planet in a nuclear holocaust.
Tom Ridge appears on television commercials to give perhaps the most absurd advice ever dispensed by a public official. Having a few days water supply and all the duct tape in the world will probably not save any lives, nor will it impede any terrorists, and it certainly will not restore confidence to American investors. Moreover, what exactly are we supposed to do on an "orange" day as opposed to a "yellow" day? It is an unfortunate reality that our government seems more anxious than we about how to combat terrorism at home. Unfortunately, the parade of fear doesn't end with homeland security alerts and color-coded terror warnings.
Pundits tell us everything that can go wrong, and nobody seems to offer any solutions. If we invade Iraq, we might set off a catastrophic regional war. Perhaps Saddam Hussein will cause an ecological disaster by setting his oil fields on fire. Maybe the terrorists will be so angered by a U.S. invasion of Iraq, they will try even harder to kill innocent people (whether or not we invade Iraq, al Qaeda seems rather intent on killing innocents, but that's just my opinion). North Korea has started its nuclear reactors, a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians have never been more distant in my lifetime and the French are just being the French. Amidst all this negativity, I think a little pep talk is in order for the American people.
The threat of a terrorist attack is very real, but the probability of another attack is still significantly less than the probability of dying of cancer, a heart attack or even an automobile accident. Before we engage in a nationwide panic, we should keep in mind that it took years to plan and execute the 9/11 attacks, our security was lax and our intelligence was even worse. Measures have been taken at every level to ensure that a massive attack on U.S. soil will be extremely difficult. In addition, the Taliban no longer provides a safe haven for al Qaeda. We seem to have forgotten that the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center did minimal damage, that the Pentagon is actively hunting down terrorists around the globe and that we can (and have, as evidenced by the capture of Khalid Sheik Muhammad) capture these men and bring them to justice. We must not forget that we are indeed in the midst of a fight with international terror, but it is one that we can win. We must strike a balance between caution and risk that will allow us to enjoy free, happy, long lives.
As for Iraq, the Israel-Palestine conflict, North Korea and the French, they all require a combination of patience and vigilance, but they are not impossible situations to resolve. The American people need to have confidence in their leaders, diplomats and armed forces to do what needs to be done. We need to engage in meaningful discussion on these issues, rather than march for the sake of marching. We must remember that there is nothing easier than criticism-it is taking a stand that requires courage. Indeed, America does not have the power to determine every outcome, but in the grand scheme of things we will do what our collective conscience dictates, and I would argue that, more often than not, we do the right thing.
In the meantime, Americans need to get out more, eat some high cholesterol food, drive over the speed limit, study abroad and have a little faith. Winston Churchill once said, "When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said that he had a lot of issues in his life, most of which never happened."
For the record, I intend to spend most of my summer abroad.