• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Are you afraid of terrorists striking where you live?

novella

novella

Active Member
Do you think it's likely that wherever in the world you live will be hit by a terror attack, whether by ETA, IRA, Al-Quaeda, Hamas, or Timothy McVeigh clones?

Have you ever done anything to prepare for such an event?



Today there's a huge three-state preparation exercise around where I live to test responses, which was announced many times so that people don't panic. Just wondering what the situation and frame of mind is near you . . .
 
I cant say that it ever crosses my mind, and I doubt that it would anyone who lives near me. Then again, I live nowhere near a population centre, so I doubt that anything short of a nuclear attack on London would affect me. If I lived right in the centre of the city, then it would probably be more of a worry, especially when you start to see armed police wandering around (which is something you never saw before 9/11).

Phil
 
I worry about these things all the time although not as much as I used to. After september 11 I used to have nightmares that I was being bombed and stuff but then I'm quite a paranoid person anyway.
14.gif


I always worry when I watch the news and hear about wars etc, that world war three is going to break out. I know I'm not the only person that thinks like this. Sad that stuff like this has to play on our minds isn't it? I live in quite a small town and I don't think we would be prepared for something like this, but then again I don't think anyone would truly be 100% prepared wherever they are in the world.

panik.gif
 
Haven't really thought about it, but I don't really think I have anything to worry about. Most people don't know where Denmark is anyway, and those who do, don't really care. Don't think any terrorist would get anything out of attacking Denmark. But still buildings are evacuated whenever some idiot finds it funny to send a bag of white powder to some government thing.
The only thing we in Denmark to warn people, are sirens stationed around the country. When they sound, we apparently have to go inside and turn on the radio or tv. Don't really think a lot of people would, they would probably just be bitching about the noise.
 
the only threat i think we would face is simply in our proximity to the states. canada is hardly a super power. i do think we are considered useful as a point of entry and i am not sure but i think there was some investigation into that. that the 9/11 terrorist got in through canada. in terms of preparation, nothing that i am aware of.
 
In 1999 a terrorist was caught crossing the Canadian border into US with a van load of explosives. Ahmed Ressam or something was his name, and it was over on the Western side near Washington State. But I think stuff like that happens on the Southern border as well. Apparently there's an armed vigilante group patrolling the Arizona/Mex border now. Great. :rolleyes:



I don't think being a world power has much to do with it. Look at Bali and the train that was bombed in Spain. When I lived in London, the IRA was very active in bombing public sites--anyone remember the Wimpy's bomb on Oxford St. ?

I live in a very rural area with about 20 people/sq mile, but it's sort of near a big reservoir that serves NYC, and back in 2001 everyone was afraid it would be poisoned. Also there's a nuclear plant down the Hudson about 80 miles that people see as a potential target.
 
i was in japan when the om sarine(sp?) gassed the subway. security got very tight, especially for foreigners. i lived in a very rural part of japan so it was really unusual to see police at the train station. it was the only time i got asked for my gaijin card.
 
Haven't really thought about anything happening in my area... there isn't really anything around here of much political importance (or much importance in general).
 
novella said:
I live in a very rural area with about 20 people/sq mile, but it's sort of near a big reservoir that serves NYC, and back in 2001 everyone was afraid it would be poisoned. Also there's a nuclear plant down the Hudson about 80 miles that people see as a potential target.
Click to expand...

just outside the town where I live is a place called 'AWE'. They make atomic bombs and nuclear weapons so I guess that would be a potential target too.
 
I don't think about this stuff day to day, but I also figure we're pretty isolated and independent--on a private well, have a generator, grow some food, live near farms, all of that. And I never worry when I travel. Why bother? Worrying isn't very productive.

The safest place on earth is only the place nothing bad has happened yet.
 
I think the threat of a major terrorism strike is very real. When I lived in Dallas, I was nervous a lot because it's such a major city. In fact, after moving away, I saw a news story where they apprehended a guy who was connected to Al Queda and he had been working for the city, so he knew the whereabouts of everything like water systems, electric stuff, etc...I forget all the details.

Anyhow, I feel better living in a smaller city and yet, I think the threat is just as real. We're not far from the Mexican border and I think I read that our port is the 5th largest in the nation, not to mention the large oil and gas industry here. And then I go and read all the suspense thrillers that center around terrorism and that certainly doesn't help! lol

So while it doesn't consume me like it did right after 9-11, from time to time, I still think of what could happen. I don't think we should be like ostriches with our heads in the sand, hiding from the stark reality of these people who are still out there plotting. But at the same time, I don't think we can really live life in constant fear.
 
tartan_skirt said:
Haven't really thought about anything happening in my area... there isn't really anything around here of much political importance (or much importance in general).
Click to expand...

Gleneagles. ;)
 
Well, its not something I've thought of despite working for probably one of the biggest terrorist targets in the world (HSBC). Some of our offices in London were bombed a few years ago by the IRA and our Istanbul (i think) offices were bombed by an Islamic group. Also work in the city which suffered the biggest ever terrorist attack on mainland Britain. But, despite that I don't give it much thought. If i did.....i'd probably hide in a forest!
 
I live in Western Massachusetts. We only have four things that could maybe ever be a terrorist target.
1) UMASS - very dense population
2) Westover - large air base, recieves a lot of shipments that can't fly into Boston
3) Yankee Rowe - dismantled Nuke plant
4) Mass Pike - without this Bostonians can't go to Vermont to ski

Sept 12, 2001 I was working as an EMT at a vigil on UMASS Campus (was still student then) everyone was so FREAKED out about "maybe they will come for UMASS next because we have towers too". Uh huh, sure. We have the occasional terrorism drill for the fire dept or work, but for the most part people here realize nobody, including the rest of our state gives a shit about us. I think I am pretty safe.
 
I live maybe 75 metres from Detroit. I've heard that the bridge separating Canada and the States is on some list of the top places that a terrorist would strike, but that seems awful foolish to me. Sure, it would disrupt commerce for a few days at the most, but it would only give them a reason to build a bigger bridge (which is already being mulled over by both governments). I personally think the skyline would be nicer without it.
 
Hollis said:
So while it doesn't consume me like it did right after 9-11, from time to time, I still think of what could happen. I don't think we should be like ostriches with our heads in the sand, hiding from the stark reality of these people who are still out there plotting. But at the same time, I don't think we can really live life in constant fear.
Click to expand...

Very well said Hollis. I totally agree.
 
I live about 20 km outside of Brussels, but spend most of my time there. I think there's a threat there, since Brussels is pretty important in some respects, but it's not as if I worry about it. Something might happen; then again, it might not.
 
fear is a really ugly thing. not just fear of terrorism, but all fear. I was watching a special feature thing on kung fu season 2 where david carradine met with a group of actors and martial artists to talk about the show, but instead for some reason they kept going on and on about how people should learn martial arts to protect themselves. in other words, if someone threatens you, you should fight back. that's basically how humans beings have been operating throughout history, and it's seriously f-'d up. can you honestly think of anything worse than giving someone who is afraid the power to hurt other people? when it comes to terrorism, the thing osama bin laden and all those guys are fighting is not the thing they think it is. it's not capitalism or the west, it's themselves.
 
might be off topic, but...

I don't know, but I think the terrorism/terrorists might have a history about itself? How it has been formed? What was its source, things like that. According to the definiton on dictionary.com, which goes:

Terrorism:
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

So, I think, behind allthe violent behaviour/actions of those terrorists, there must have been some reasons. would you call them terrorists if they attack or bomb anywhere,everywhere without any purpose? That would be a bunch of insane/frenzied mob.

I mean, I don't think those terrorists (whoever they are) would attack a certain place,(Brussel, London, Paris, or Amsterdam,.... Beijing, Seoul, or wherever the place ) even if it is important or holds the crucial strategic position or whatever. My point is, terrorists have their reasons. I think that reason to them is like their causes. Don't they want to live a peaceful life, a happy life in their own countries?? Don't they love their own lives, the lives of their mothers, fathers, brothers...............??

Apologize if what I said seems to be irrelated.

Bobby: I understood what you have said. Yet, I think it is too philosophical and/or idealistic. I doubt........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top