Two years after 9/11 Americans continue to go about their daily lives despite terror alerts

When terrorists first attacked the World Trade Center February 1993, Americans knew it was terrorism, but we never gave it so much as a thought it could happen again on our shores.

At least not in the way it happened the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 with the hijacking of four jetliners; two flying into and destroying the World Trade Center’s twin towers. The third flying into the Pentagon, while the fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, thanks to the brave passengers aboard Flight 93 who attempted to stop the terrorists from destroying another American symbol.

Since 9/11, not a day, week, or month has gone by where the threat of terrorism either here or abroad isn’t mentioned on the news.

Last month, the FBI, in working with Russian Federal Secret Service, successfully arrested a Briton arms dealer of Indian descent, who attempted to sell a shoulder-fired missile to an informant posing as a terrorist, according to the Aug. 25, 2003 issue of Time.

Although the apprehension was a small victory in the war on terror, FAA officials and terrorism experts interviewed on such programs as Nightline said a great number of surface-to-air missiles could already be in the hands of terrorist groups. The fact the possibility exists that such weapons could be used to bring down a commercial jetliner, either in the U.S. or other countries in the coming years, isn’t a comforting thought to air travelers not to mention the already financially troubled airline industry.

Last week, the FBI issued a bulletin to all law enforcement agencies across the country to be on the lookout for four men believed to be involved in terrorist activities and who may pose a threat to Americans here and abroad, according to an Sept. 5, 2003 article on CNN.

On the eve of the second anniversary of 9/11, Al-Jazeera TV released a videotape of Osama bin Laden and his chief deputy walking throughout the rocky mountain regions of Afghanistan with the voice of the Al-Qaeda leader promising more terror attacks.

None of this, however, has deterred Americans from going about their daily lives.

We go to work, school and attend church. Nothing has stopped people from flying, vacationing, shopping, dining at restaurants, going to movies, sports events and attending concerts. Despite the events of two years ago, the last thing on anyone’s mind today whenever they wake up in the morning and walk out the front door is the thought they could be victims of a terrorist attack.

It’s a good bet that wasn’t what the victims were thinking about when they arrived to work at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and boarded those four planes that fateful morning.

They were doing exactly what we do every day. It is something we should do every year on this dark day, other than taking a moment to remember the fallen.

When asked how Americans should commemorate Sept. 11, talk show host Rush Limbaugh had this to say in the Sept. 24, 2001 issue of Time.

"We should resolve to make Sept. 11 as robust a day as we can. It should feature Americans behaving in their unique, extraordinary ways. Those whose lives were lost should be remembered as they died, in busy activity, never dreaming that that day would be their last on Earth. We will not need to shut down to remember."

©9/17/03