Liberty, Up in Smoke

On September 11, 2001 hundreds of air travelers displayed a victim mentality to sixteen men with box cutters all the way to their demise, and the demise of hundreds more. The terrorists counted on their victims being so fearful they would relinquish their right to life to the mere threat of a severe cut. Beyond the memorial ceremonies and the clean up of ground zero, the phenomenon of fear continued wreaking its destruction upon America. Playing right into the hands of the terrorists, America’s victim mentality fearfully allowed the useless sacrifice of many civil liberties in exchange for the promise of safety.

Fear is a life saving instinct. Without it, the human race would have become extinct long ago. Americans certainly were the victims of the terrorists on 9/11, and rightfully afraid for their lives on that day, Greater concern and tragedy would be a factor if Americans had not had the response of fear to these shocking and horrible events. As sentient human beings, all Americans experienced something they are not accustomed to – being the victim - as well as a disdain toward a shrouded enemy. As a whole, all Americans experienced shock, confusion, calamity, and grief. As a people, united by patriotism and love of country, all Americans experienced an attack on everything they stand for. For a brief time, fear and victimization equalized all Americans. However, it wasn’t long before this fear no longer united, but began to destroy the very fiber of all things American.


Anxiety Responses Experienced Shortly After the Events of 9/11

60 percent thought another attack was likely
67 percent felt severe anger about the attacks
83 percent thought war was likely in the future
68 percent reported being severely affected by 9/11
19 percent changed their routine or travel plans as a result of 9/11
90 percent indicated one or more distress symptoms to some degree
80 percent of those living in New York City indicated post-traumatic stress disorder
44 percent indicated one or more stress symptoms to a considerable degree
50 percent reported feeling very nervous and tense following the tragedy
10 percent of those living in New York City indicated depression
17 percent indicated post-traumatic stress disorder
50 percent reported having trouble sleeping
44 percent saw the world less safe after 9/11
46 percent reported feeling dazed


Fear can cause us to exaggerate what our senses perceive, and what our mind knows to be true, to the point that false evidence can appear real. Regardless of whether a threat is real, imagined, or somewhere in between, we humans have a tendency to operate under the potentials of the worst case scenario when afraid. Terrorists count on this fundamental fact of human behavior. A terrorist judges the effectiveness and success of a specific terrorist act by the reaction of the government and the public to the act. (Terrorism-Research, n.d.) The unnecessary and irrational continuation of fear, anxiety, and victimization all Americans experienced on 9/11 was a desire of the terrorists from the beginning.

More than anything else, terrorism is psychological warfare on its most fundamental and most potent levels. The intended results of terrorist acts are aimed at a target audience beyond the original victim. This audience of the terrorist act may be the population as a whole, some specific portion of a society, or decision-making populace of the political, social, or military systems in place. (Terrorism-Research, n.d.) In the case of 9/11, specific symbols representing aspects of American society were targeted.

 The economic sector, as evidenced with the attacks on the World Trade Center.
 The military, as evidenced with the attack on the Pentagon.
 The government, as evidenced with the intended attack on either the White House or the Capital Building. (Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and did not complete its intended mission.)

Even nearly a decade later we are fulfilling the goals of the terrorists as our economy is in shambles, our military is spread too thin on two separate fronts and fatigued from a long, traditionally executed war against an enemy engaged in psychological warfare, and our government is haphazardly enacting laws that are a detriment to Americans, all because of 9/11.

The contention that the government in power during the time of the attacks attempted to act in the best interest of the safety and well being of the population as a whole is a viable contention at its most capable level. (The level of incapability must also be examined at some point.) A population gripped by fear for their own safety most certainly would expect swift and effective action by the powers that be. If a government does not respond with immediate and tangible action, the populace turns their fear to anger, and vents that anger through the ballot box.

Thus, in retrospect, who is most responsible for fulfilling the goals of the terrorists, the American government or the American people? One answer is – both. The American premise is fundamentally a government of the people, after all. Government leaders are expected to follow the wishes of the people. On the other hand, the government responded in fear. They acted as if they were dealing with a traditional enemy, when they should have understood from the beginning they were engaging in psychological warfare. The “Wanted: Dead or Alive” mentality projected that the government was going to respond to the cries of terrorized Americans with vigilante justice, which is the equivalent of the revenge. The immediate reaction of the government was one of blood lust and revenge, reinforcing the victim mentality. America, as a whole, re-acted instead of stepping back and taking stock of the true situation. If Americans had not allowed false evidence to appear real (F.E.A.R) their actions would not have been so completely clouded, and perhaps a more viable plan for the safety of its people and the future protection from terrorist acts could have been proactively put into place.

Instead, terrorism is winning because people are still running scared. Instead, Americans have allowed themselves to be railroaded into giving up what is afforded them by the Bill of Rights and the American Constitution. There are very few Americans who are aware of the civil liberties that have been taken away from them in the name of safety against terrorism.

Even when we are afraid, and looking to our leaders to make decisions for us, we need to keep a close eye on just what decisions they are making. What is the real reason Americans were willing to give up basic rights as Americans in order to have a false sense of security? Should honesty prevail, the realization that any determined terrorist is going to find a way around any laws enacted to deter them. While that is not a good reason to avoid enacting viable laws, the loss of civil liberties is a good reason to not act in fear, but truly seek the most effective ways to deter terrorism with the least disruption to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
If willing, it would be advantageous of Americans to re-evaluate the actions that were taken, remedy the mistakes and put serious thought into the best ways to deal more effectively in psychological warfare in the future. One of the first things to do in making a good assessment is to examine what fed our initial fears.

Another way to make positive changes is to take a close look at how other countries deal with large scale terrorist attacks.

Is the handing over that which is afforded every American by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution an act of patriotism? In light of the realities our country has experienced since September 11, 2001, it is imperative that we begin to understand just what a true act of patriotism actually is. If Americans continue to willingly sacrifice their civil liberties and rights in exchange for the promise of safety, America will soon belong to the terrorist with the sharpest box cutters and the biggest airplanes. Will the future of an American be lived as a true patriot, or in an America that is the land of the fearful and the home of the intimidated?




References
Burke, R. J. (2005). Effects on individuals of 9/11. Disaster Prevention and Management, 14(5), 629-638. DOI:10.1108/09653560510634052
Terrorism-Research. (n.,d.). Terrorism research. What is terrorism?. Retrieved from http://www.terrorism-research.com

Sensenbrenner, Jr., F. J., & Oxley, M. G. (2001, October). Uniting and strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism. The Library of Congress, USA PATRIOT Act (H.R. 3162), retrieved January 2010 from http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.R.3162.ENR:

Sadler, M. S., Lineberger, M., Correll, J., & Park, B. (2005). Emotions, Attributions, and Policy Endorsement in Response to the September 11th Terrorist Attacks.. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 27(3), 249-258. doi:10.1207/s15324834basp2703_6

Fredrickson, B. L., Tugade, M. M., & Waugh, C. E. (2003). What good are positive emotions in crisis? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 265-276. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.365

Gross, K., Aday, S., & Brewer, P. R. (2004, October). A Panel Study of Media Effects on Political and Social Trust after September 11, 2001. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, , 9(), 9-49. doi:10.1177/1081180X04269138


Copyright 2010 Beth Stroup. All rights reserved.