- #1
Loren Booda
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How are you affected by terrorism?
How are you affected by terrorism?
- Thread starter Loren Booda
- Start date
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Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around the personal impacts of terrorism on individuals, exploring various emotional and psychological responses. Participants share their experiences and perspectives on how terrorism has affected their lives, with references to historical events and personal anecdotes.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Exploratory
- Personal reflection
Main Points Raised
- Some participants express feelings of being inconvenienced by heightened security measures, attributing this inconvenience to societal reactions rather than terrorism itself.
- Others recount personal experiences with terrorism, such as living in fear during childhood due to threats from groups like the IRA, highlighting the lasting psychological effects.
- A few participants describe a sense of detachment or unconcern regarding terrorism, suggesting that their personal circumstances, such as familial connections to law enforcement, influence their perceptions.
- One participant shares experiences of living in Israel during a time of frequent terrorist attacks, emphasizing the normalization of such violence and contrasting it with perceptions of terrorism in the U.S.
- There are discussions about the IRA's activities and whether their actions diminished post-9/11, with some participants questioning the broader implications of terrorism on society.
- Concerns are raised about the inevitability of future terrorist strikes, with references to government preparedness in the UK.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
The discussion reflects a range of perspectives with no clear consensus. Participants express differing levels of concern and personal impact from terrorism, leading to multiple competing views on the topic.
Contextual Notes
Some statements are based on personal experiences that may not be universally applicable, and assumptions about the nature of terrorism and its effects vary among participants.
Who May Find This Useful
This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring the psychological and social impacts of terrorism, as well as those interested in personal narratives related to security and safety in different contexts.
- #2
Ivan Seeking
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I chose "inconvenienced" but I would add mildly. The biggest pain being air travel but that needed to be revamped anyway. Security for air travel has long been a joke. The risk, obvious - any two bit psycho with a bad attitude can do damage so it was needed.
I don't mean to take away from the pain of 911 that we all felt, but I also feel for all of the victims of auto accidents, or the 100 or so killed every day in the US as well. I don't live in fear of auto accidents though - just a risk of living. When it comes to terrorists: I spit in your face, not fear, is what comes to mind.
I don't mean to take away from the pain of 911 that we all felt, but I also feel for all of the victims of auto accidents, or the 100 or so killed every day in the US as well. I don't live in fear of auto accidents though - just a risk of living. When it comes to terrorists: I spit in your face, not fear, is what comes to mind.
- #3
Moonbear
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I voted detached. I was undecided between that and inconvenienced, but realized the inconvenience isn't due to terrorism, but the excessive reaction to terrorism. Basically, I don't feel any differently about terrorism now than I did before 9/11. Afterall, terrorists existed long before then, planes were hijacked before then, buildings were blown up before then (e.g., Oklahoma City Fed Building). Planes are now safe from bombs in shoes, but I don't feel any more or less secure than I did before all these draconian security measures were put in place...I don't think they will stop a creative terrorist. I think about the existence of terrorists a little more than I used to, pretty much just to the extent that when I get on a plane, I give about the same thought as I do when walking on the streets at night...in the unlikely event that something did happen, what would I do in self-defense? I figure that given the airlines I sometimes wind up flying on, it's more likely my plane will crash due to mechanical failure than a terrorist act (ever notice some airlines seem to do all their maintenance at the gate after the passengers have boarded?).
- #4
jimmy p
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I voted cautious, but then again I have been subjected to terrorism at an early age. When my dad was in the services in Germany, we had to worry about the IRA targetting British soldiers. This involved checking under the car every time we wanted to use it just in case there was a bomb underneath. I also had to take an armoured bus to a school in an Army base everyday because normal school wasnt safe for me. I was never allowed to tell anyone what my dad did and had to be able to lie convincingly in German in case someone asked me. I was 4 when I left Germany. Hell of a thing to lay on a kid. Also my best friend's dad was shot dead outside his house because the IRA found out he was a major in the army. My dad was pretty shaken up by that seeing as we had only left Germany a month before that.
- #5
The Bob
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jimmy p said:
Clucking Bell. That must have been a bit of bo**ocks. Can't imagine that. Not going to say anymore incase I say the wrong thing, as I have a tendency to do so.
The Bob (2004 ©)
- #6
Dreamer
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i vote unconcerned, it doesn't effect me really. my dads a cop, maybe that's why it doesn't bother me. what does clucking bell mean?
- #7
Evo
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Chopnik, that is so terrible.jimmy p said:
It's unbelievable what goes on in this world. I remember constantly hearing of the terrorism of the IRA.Is it true that the IRA toned things down after the events of 9-11 because terrorism became a thing to be despised?
- #8
jimmy p
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Dreamer said:
Clucking Bell sounds a lot like something a lot ruder. The Bob was being polite with a rude meaning. :shy:
Evo said:
I didnt think about it much at the time, as it was the only life I had, but looking back on it tends to make me think how serious the situation could have been to the family if all the German hadnt been drilled into my head, or someone tried to talk to me.
The IRA have quietened down because they get a lot of support in various ways through rich Irish families mainly in New York... also that well known fast food company McDonalds funds the IRA through various links, but yes, they have fell practically silent since 9-11.
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- #9
flippy
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I was studying overseas when the terrorists attacked the wtc. Actually, you know where I was...Israel, of all places. And it didnt stop there. I stayed there for the year and there were constant terrorist attacks there where friends of mine got hurt. Last year I visited again in the summer, and I rode the number 2 bus frequently, as I had done on past visits. 2 days after I got back to america the number 2 bus was blown up. There were americans on that bus who were killed too. I also had a friend from camp that was blown up in an israeli outdoor shopping mall several years ago. I have many stories how terrorism affected me. So on an international scale, terrorism has affected me. It happens so frequently that people are desensitized to it. I can't imagine how america would deal if suicide bombers randomly decided to blow up our shopping malls and city buses and every entrance to any building had to be manned by security guards. If you have not been to Israel and you were not directly affected by 9-11, then you haven't experienced true terrorism.
- #10
the number 42
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Cautious. We are told here that a terrorist strike is inevitable. In the next week or so the government will be sending a leaflet to every household in the UK outlining what to do when a terrorist strike occurs.
- #11
Gza
- 446
- 0
I don't think I would want to journey to Isreal, so I can experience "true terrorism."
- #12
flippy
- 8
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Well, it happens to be a wonderful country, and if there would be peace it would be even better. And as I have said, the Sharon, Barak and Peres governments all offered Arafat land which he refused. It is an ideological war, a monkey see monkey want. Israel is a beautiful country which would be thriving if the Palestinian terrorists would stop blowing up innocent civilians.