Clearly, the nation has learned quite a bit from the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The people learned the country was vulnerable to attacks never before imagined. They learned that thousands of people could die in a few minutes at the hands of terrorists, and that the borders, the cities, and even the rural areas were susceptible to attack. They learned that weapons such as biochemical agents and other poisons could enter the water and food supplies and could kill thousands, or even millions. They learned that the country has to be increasingly vigilant to protect the citizens and their way of life. They also learned that Americans could stand together with pride in the face of adversity, and the people were not afraid to fight back when it came to terrorism and the threat of future attacks.
One very interesting theory regarding the attacks comes from author Gerald Posner, who asserts the U.S. government knew about the terrorists, and the attacks could have been prevented. His book, "Why America Slept," demonstrates how widespread terrorism assistance is in the Arab world, and how perilous the U.S. ignorance of the problem continues to be. The author also discusses just how the Muslims find funding, and how they use an assortment of methods to transfer and raise terrorist funds throughout the world. The author notes, "For at least six years, the terror organizations reaped the benefits of fund-raising through charities, illegal schemes, and straight money laundering, while law enforcement and Treasury officials failed to move against them" (Posner 130). The author believes the government knew about bin Laden and his associates for years and ignored him, and that proved to be catastrophic and lethal. This belief is certainly not the most popular or held by everyone,...
We lost thousands of citizens, numerous companies and industries lost billions of dollars, and the country has taken years to recover from the attacks. We learned we were vulnerable to acts of violence by terrorists, and that we needed to increase security, watch our borders, and not take our safety for granted. We also learned that the world supported us in times of stress and struggle, and that we could fight back and not take the attacks lying down. The country has also taken many measures to prevent future attacks, and continues to work at protecting our nation from random acts of deadly terror.
References
Chomsky, N. (2001). September 11. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin.
Cordesman, A.H. (2002). Terrorism, Asymmetric Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Defending the U.S. Homeland. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Klinger, D.A., & Grossman, D. (2002). Who Should Deal with Foreign Terrorists on U.S. Soil? Socio-Legal Consequences of September 11 and the Ongoing Threat of Terrorist Attacks in America. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, 25(2), 815+.
Posner, Gerald. (2003). Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11. New York: Random House.
Threat Advisory. (2005). Retrieved from the Department of Homeland Security web site: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/index.jsp26 Jan. 2005.
USA PATRIOT Act. (2001). Retrieved from the Electronic Privacy Information Center web site: http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html26 Jan. 2005.
