Valley Springs High School
Valley Springs, Arkansas
Stopping Terrorism
By Andy Cason
12th Grade
Terrorism is based on religious or political motivation. It is intended to spread terror by seeking to magnify a group’s influence and power to effect political change on either a local or an international scale, and it can be stopped. Terrorism defined is the use of violence, or threat of violence, to create a climate of fear in a given population by a person or an organized group. What makes terrorism? Criminal violence, acts of war, and terrorist acts are all not appropriate, yet it is the target and motive that make violence terrorism.
First of all, criminal violence is not terrorism. The Italian-American gangster, Scarface, better known as Alphonse Capone, led an organized group that was one of the most powerful gangs in America during the 1920’s when he basically controlled Chicago’s criminal activities. Crimes of violence consist of murder, manslaughter, rape, and assault. Capone was held for several serious murder charges and, on top of that, he controlled gambling rackets, prostitution rings, and the illegal sales of liquor, altogether building a twenty-seven million dollar fortune through unjustifiable acts of indecency. Criminals are violent, but their violence is motivated by personal gain, so they are not terrorists.
Next, acts of war are violent but sometimes can be justifiable. War, in international law, is armed conflict between two or more governmental bodies. During war, violence is required to win. Acts of war occur as nation-sponsored military-equipped personnel fight against another country, as we did in World War II against Germany. However, a terrorist war is much different from a conventional war between two nations. A conventional war is intense and concentrated. It has battle lines with trained professionals fighting against one another. A terrorist war, on the other hand, consists of random acts of violence against civilians where they live and work. “In 1998, Osama bin Laden declared a ‘fatwah’, which made the killing of Americans legal to Muslims,” states an unknown author. His order was a statement against Americans and United States officials are finally figuring out that he was not joking around. When the U.S. was attacked in 1941 by the Japanese, our government knew exactly who was responsible for the offense and had a clear understanding of their intentions. Somewhat like Pearl Harbor, the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon has had a devastating effect on Americans and their allies around the world. An act of war is violence; however, it is not terrorism.
Terrorist violence targets ethnic groups, governments, political parties, corporations, and/or media enterprises. In 1993, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, an Egyptian cleric and spiritual leader of Islamic fundamentalist in both the U.S. and Egypt, led a terrorist attack by bombing the World Trade Center. He and his Islamic radicals led one of the most spectacular terrorist episodes in the United States’ history. Also, in 1995, a truck bomb exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing almost two hundred people and injuring over twice that. Timothy J. McVeigh and Terry L. Nichols were arrested for making the deadliest attack in the U.S. history.
What are we going to do with terrorists who bring damage and destruction to our American soil? How can their actions be stopped? Here are a few things that the U.S. officials might consider responding with to bring our country safety: tightening of immigration controls, stricter law enforcement, and the use of our new Office of Homeland Security.
In our struggle to keep terrorists away from our country, our leaders allow thousands of immigrants a year into our precious country. Linda Bowles, newspaper editorialist, states, “America is being degraded, disunited, and endangered by a powerful flow, wave after wave, legal and illegal, of poor, unskilled and uneducated people into our country.” Our country is endangered indeed. According to Phyllis Schlafly, “The U.S. allows 250,000 visas a year.” Why do our leaders allow that many visas each year? They are asking for terrorism. Asking for internal damage is not what we, as a nation, should try to do. The number of visas should be cut down a considerable amount. If we continue letting aliens into our system, then there is little hope for saving it because, hidden in immigrant disguise, there may be a terrorist. President Bush says, “A new terrorism task force is tightening immigration controls to make sure no one enters or stays in our country who would harm us,” to show the new changes occurring in our immigration control.
As a nation, to help control terrorism, we must enforce all laws to the fullest extent. Conservative Chronicle reads, “Those who hate us for our freedom will do whatever they can to use it against us, and turn us against one another.” Therefore, our nation must be strong and capable of carrying out its allotted tasks. The September 11 attacks on America were by air. Steve Forbes, former presidential candidate, was interviewed and discussed, “You don’t have to federalize a force to get the job done. What you need is airport-wide security arrangements and requirements.” On top of airport security, our leaders have requested for wiretap approval to list locations of terrorists. Max Boot demands, “We must not only wipe out the vipers, but also destroy their nests and do our best to prevent new nests from being built again.” If we can locate them, we then shall have the opportunity to destroy. “No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith,” claims the president. His words are true. We should not discriminate against them as they do us, but we must not let their unjust deeds lead us to be frightened. The U.S. must fight bin Laden and his followers. We should give them everything possible and imaginable for punishment, excluding death. One writer said that Muslims are, “unafraid to die, but welcome it,” to describe their religion and their desire to interrupt our lives. “The leaders respond by teaching their people that we are a population of devils led by devils,” thus showing the hatred they have for Americans. Bush preaches, “The only way to pursue peace is to pursue those who threaten it.” Again our president gives another resolution, “The best way to defend our homeland—the best way to make sure that our children live in peace—is to take the battle to the enemy and to stop them.” “There is nothing we can do to make the attacks stop except by becoming a Muslim nation. Or by eliminating the people who have declared themselves to be our mortal enemies and have sworn blood oaths to keep killing us until we are all gone,” states a certain writer. No matter what penalties this country decides to punish the terrorists with, it must bring to justice all those who are a future threat and establish a better law enforcement to carry out the tasks.
Probably the best way to improve our position on terrorism is the Office of Homeland Security President Bush established. Are we as a nation willing to sacrifice any precious civil liberties to improve intelligence gathering or enhance preparedness? Homeland Security was developed and coordinated for the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the U.S. from terrorist attacks or threats. This system is to coordinate all things necessary to protect and help our country. Tom Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania, is the head of all intelligence authorities. President Bush has expanded the Coast Guard’s duties. He also has placed the National Guard to help with the surveillance on our borders and to help with airport security. Homeland Security ensures that all offices and departments share intelligence and are properly equipped to take on such measures as detecting biological, chemical, and other hazards. The functions include the following: developing national strategies, detecting hazards, being prepared for attacks, preventing actions, protecting the U.S. citizens, and recovering after the response. Homeland Security can help defeat the terrorist actions in the United States.
If the leaders of this country would tighten immigration, we would not have terrorists entering our country. If the laws we have are enforced to the fullest extent, then no terrorist would rise against us because of the strict punishment they would receive. If the Office of Homeland Security that our president and his cabinet have established succeeds, then our country can rest at peace safely in their homes. These are the measures that our nation should take to keep terror away from our homeland.
Questions
1. Why, in your opinion, was the United States attacked?
ANSWER: We made some people irritated or somewhat jealous over how well our economy was doing. Also, we let down our guard, meaning no one was expecting a terrorist attack.
2. Why is the first question so important to resolve and agree upon?
ANSWER: So our nation can fix its problems.
3. What action or inaction by the United States and its allies, in the author’s opinion, increased the likelihood of chemical and biological attacks?
ANSWER: When the United States and its allies backed down from Saddan Hussein’s refusal to allow inspections of suspected Iraqi weapon manufacturing facilities, this caused the attacks.
4. Why does the author believe the United States is a popular target for terrorists?
ANSWER: The author believes that we are hated and we “shine” too much on our own “sins.”
5. What motivates terrorists, in the author’s opinion?
ANSWER: We strut our wealth and power.
6. What reasons does the author give for the intense hatred of the United States by people like Osama bin Ladn?
ANSWER: Our wealth and their belief that Allah wants us destroyed for our godlessness is the reason for their hatred.
7. How does rule by divine right preclude the reasoned debate that occurs naturally in a democracy?
ANSWER: Divine right would eliminate any reasoned debate or consideration of basic human rights where democracy requires debate and consideration.
8. What evidence does the author offer that the terrorism visited upon the United States on September 11, 2001, was based on religious rather than political fanaticism?
ANSWER: Not only because we have not been offered any negotiation, but the fact that bin Laden ordered a “Fatwah” in 1998, making it holy to kill any American civilians.
9. What is Fatwah?
ANSWER: Fatwah is an explicit religious order to make holy the duty of killing.
10. Why does the author think new attacks are likely and how does he/she suggest we stop them?
ANSWER: New attacks are likely because we can’t negotiate, and we can only stop them if we become a Muslim state with an Ayatollah as its head or completely destroy them.
11. Why does the author claim that declaring war is futile? What two historical examples does he/she give to back up this claim?
ANSWER: Its futile because we don’t know exactly where the enemy is and we publicize everything. Such examples include the war on drugs and Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars.
12. Complete this sentence using the author’s words: “A declaration of war implies…
ANSWER: … a conflict of limited duration of which one side eventually surrenders or capitulates and the other side wins.”
13. What does the author suggest that we do?
ANSWER: We have to realize that terrorist don’t fight according to Geneva Convention.
14. Explain the significance of the Coventry story.
ANSWER: The Coventry story implies the belief that we should try to decode the terrorist.
15. Suppose you were a general in a combat situation. Could you “consort with evil to prevent larger evil”? Why or why not?
ANSWER: Yes, one could prevent a larger evil. Depending on whether or not I was wise in all tactics and was familiar with the enemies’ past wars.
16. The author says something is unAmerican. What is it? Do you think the author is correct? Please write out your own definition of unAmerican.
ANSWER: UnAmerican would be turning our anger on the enemy because of our frustration in being unable to get at the real villains. I think he/she is right. Being unAmerican would be something Americans would not try or do to get back at our enemies.
17. Do you agree that terrorism must be defined adequately in order to be stopped?
ANSWER: No. Terrorism can be for or against the United States. Terrorism is an act of threat on anyone, not just United States.
18. How important do you think it is for you to research, discuss and consider the definition of terrorism? Are you willing to spend the time it takes to give your definition your very best effort? Why or why not?
ANSWER: It is very important. No, mainly because it has not truly effected my life in a threatening way, yet. Also, I believe I can trust our leaders who are very much more wise and educated than I am.
ANSWER: No. I stated that the U.S. has committed terrorist acts.
20. Are you optimistic about the future? Will you pledge to do your part in pursuing mutual understanding? Why or why not?
ANSWER: Yes. I am optimistic. I will pledge myself to pursue mutual understanding because not only I but the rest of the world needs to understand what is going on.