As I mentioned earlier, terrorism is not a noble cause of some kind, it is the deliberate threat or use of violence by the few to affect the many by affecting the few. It's a theatrical event designed to affect YOUR emotions. And it generally works; now doesn't it?
So how do we prevail? Well that has a lot more to do with the government than individual actions. We'll leave that alone for now except to say that by not living our lives our way is a sign of defeat. We, as a community, must stick together - avoid using stereotypes as a reason to mistreat your neighbor. Mistrusting your neighbor because he is an Arab or a Muslim weakens our position. It denies all that we value in America. The form of Islam that is used to justify such attacks should not be used as a measuring stick for the religion. No more so than violent Christian fundamentalists should necessarily be used to describe the Christian faith. So keep in mind what it means to live in, come to, and thrive in the U.S. before getting too paranoid, and remember we craete our own violent activists pretty well too - since the Oklahoma City bombing was the second worst terrorist act on our soil. Enough said...
So how does one prepare? Just be aware of your surroundings and THINK. Henry Ford used to day that thinking was the hardest work and that's why so few people ever did it. So think and be aware. If you generally make sound decisions then be a leader if an event occurs. Panic - or terror - is the goal of the attack. Deny them that and the attack loses value. The bird that leads the flock is the bird that flew out in front in the first place. Being a leader during crisis will provide structure to others efforts and thoughts. I know this all sounds great sitting in a cafe and drinking hot chocolate without a real care in the world. I have been a security professional for most of my life and when I was in High School I used to monitor the terrorism of that day. I have always been an observant person - it's just been in my nature I guess - but it's not hard. And it can be fun. When you walk into a room, train, subway, or bus glance around quickly. Then think of a number... Eventually you will walk into a room and glance around naturally - without an actaul conscious thought - and that number that pops to mind will be the number of people present. Test yourself periodically. Next try doing the same thing but later in the day write down what was on one of the walls in that room. Now you're finding exits and restrooms automatically - this can be quite useful when you just have to go and don't have time to ask. Relax and let that amazing computer on your shoulders do the work. Think and be aware. Oh, by the way there are 15 people in the cafe with me now - actually it's sixteen, I didn't see a small child behind a table. I did this count without raising my head from the computer. Have fun with it... It can be quite soothing to know - really know - your surroundings.
Coping with terrorism is a whole different ballgame and I don't think I'm the right kind of professional to offer the best advice. I cope with it by living and enjoying - and I can relax because I stay aware of my surroundings. It's sort of like playing "Where's Waldo" for me. Once you start paying attention to your surroundings you start to immediately recognize what doesn't belong. So think and be aware.
I think that's enough of this topic. I want to move on to something more uplifting - like burglary.
Rob
/
No comments:
Post a Comment