(With the permission of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)
(And Laura McGowan)

AFMCNS27 — August 14, 2006

By Laura McGowan

Aeronautical Systems Center Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFMCNS) — Terrorism and its bloody history have effectively divided nations, cities, homes and families. For those who live in the United States and are citizens who have an allegiance here, this article is for you.

There are many definitions of the word terrorism, but the Oxford Concise Dictionary of Politics (2nd edition) defines it as, “a term with no agreement amongst government or academic analysts, but almost invariably used in a pejorative sense, most frequently to describe life-threatening actions perpetrated by politically motivated self-appointed sub-state groups.”

However a person chooses to define the word, when most Americans hear that word, the events of September 11, 2001, come to mind along with the images on television and in the newspapers. Then others think of the Global War on Terrorism, and their views go in many different directions.

When you look at yourself in the mirror each day, who do you see looking back? Do you see just an African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Jewish American, Caucasian American, Asian American or otherwise ethnic American? Whatever your race, creed or religious affiliation, the fact that you are an American or an ally of America makes you are a target of terrorism.

If the recent terrorist plot to down several planes heading to the United States from Britain had succeeded, hundreds, even thousands of innocent lives would have been lost for the cause of terrorism. Wouldn’t it be great if people could settle their differences through peaceful negotiations and respect? But history shows us it will not happen that way, unfortunately. Terrorists will not allow it—that is the nature of the act itself. Americans also can’t agree on how to deal with terrorism.

However, even with America’s faults and, to some, its failures, people like Dr. Larry Schweikart, history professor at the University of Dayton and author of several books, says, “America remains a shining city on the hill because, despite steady erosion in some cases, we are a nation that celebrates individuals—individual freedom, individual initiative, and even individual failure.

“We tolerate failure more than any country in the world, and everyone learns from failure,” he said. He explained that Americans embrace cultural differences, but, “we insist that at some point you become ‘American.’”

When terrorists struck the towers, there were Americans from all nationalities there. There comes a time when Americans should be singing from the same hymnal. There is no other time like the present.

America and its allies will always have to be vigilant when dealing with terrorism, because it is always evolving and requires - in fact, demands - a response. We may not be able to totally wipe out terrorism, but it will always be our duty to never give up.

Remember the tale about a little boy who was walking along a beach after a storm, throwing starfish back into the sea that had been washed ashore. When confronted by a passerby who criticized the futility of what he was doing, saying, “There must be thousands of starfish on this beach. It’s impossible for you to save them all; you can’t possibly make a difference.”

The young boy smiled as he picked up another starfish and tossed it back into the sea and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

For this cause, America, a few days ago thousands of lives were saved when the British government foiled an attack. There were no tears, bloodshed, funeral preparations or indescribable grief that day.