Heading Into Darkness Once Again By Richard Rodriguez Summary

Terrorism, random acts of violence, politically motivated attacks, and their psychological and societal consequences are nothing new; yet still, the effects are profoundly disturbing. Attacks undermine our presumptions about the safety of engaging in public life; a presumption that is vital for individuals, society, and the economy to carry on smoothly. The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 have personally affected my life and has had consequences for many other individuals, the United States, and the world. In the essay, “Heading into darkness once again”, Richard Rodriguez postulates that the randomness and anonymity of terrorism is its most frightening aspect. While I do not disagree that these are integral aspects of what makes

terrorism terrifying, to me the most frightening aspect is the disregard for innocent lives, and how attacks can subvert our better nature and societal values, cloud our judgement, and lead to a perpetuation of hate and suffering. The negative consequences of terrorism stretch far beyond the immediate aftermath of an attack. With terrorism, it is not only bodies and property that are injured or destroyed; there are potentially deep and long lasting wounds to our collective psyche and society at large that can impact day to day life.
In 2001, I witnessed the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and my life was impacted by the tragedy. That morning, I heard the news that a plane hit the World Trade Center on the radio as I drove to work at a deli on Long Island, New York. Like millions across America, at first I did not know what to think and my mind ran wild with terrible imaginings and scenarios. I rushed home. Once there, I turned on the television and saw the second plane hit the tower. It was then that I knew it was a terrorist attack. My parents scrambled to find out if my aunt and cousin were safe, both of whom worked in the buildings. By luck or grace, they were not there that morning. My aunt had called in sick to work, and my cousin had decided to stop at a hotdog stand before going in. Yet even with that good news, the overwhelming horror and fear that set in from that day's unfolding events had me in a state of sheer panic and despair. I wanted to flee Long Island with my family, fearful of further attacks, yet we were trapped. The government quickly shut down all of the ferries, airports, and bridges. There was no way into or out of Manhattan and Long Island. It was not long before the smoke from the buildings blanketed my neighborhood. With the smoke, a new immediate presence to the horror descended upon our home, as I imagined the ashes of my fellow New Yorkers floating in the morning breeze. I did not want to breathe. I went to the basement as my parents tried to cover the windows and doors to keep out the smoke. I was so afraid of what might happen next and wondered if more attacks were coming. In the weeks and months after that terrible day, I found myself afraid to be in traffic, public places, or any tall buildings. The sounds of planes sent chills through me. The local news helped keep us in a state of fear; questioning all unknowns and questioning each other. While most of America was being shown visions of New Yorkers coming together in media reports, my lived experience of being there was quite different. The city was essentially under martial law, which seemed to make everyone's anxiety worse. Xenophobia and fear of Muslims felt rampant as I listened to my fellow citizens. I witnessed several innocent Muslims get attacked on the streets. An acquaintance of mine attacked a cashier because he was Muslim; which was entirely out of character for him and absolutely shocking to hear about. I saw several white people attacked by Arabs. The city was in chaos; the rosy solidarity shown on television felt like a lie. I developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the attack and from witnessing its hate-filled violent aftermath. I quit my deli job and didn't venture outside much at all until I moved to Connecticut some time later. To this day, I cannot bear to see videos of the towers in smoke and reflecting on terrorism is incredibly difficult. Terrorism is not something I think about in the abstract, it's something I’ve lived and experienced the consequences of.
Terrorism has long lasting repercussions on individuals that affect how they live and perceive. Physical traumas inflicted on terrorist attack victims can take years to heal or may be permanent. First responder’s long term health is put at risk as well. In the case of 9/11 responders and those who were in the immediate vicinity of the attacks, many now suffer the long term effects of breathing the toxic smoke and ash that covered Manhattan. Cancer, diseases of the lung, heart, and neurological systems have affected many. Like the physical wounds, psychological wounds are also long lasting and can impact people's day to day life. People from around the world have suffered the effects of watching the events of that day. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression rates went up in the months after the attacks. These disorders can physically alter the brain and change a person’s perception and quality of life. In the aftermath of the attacks, many innocent people have been subjected to racial profiling, discrimination, and hate-crimes that surely impact their sense of security and justice. Hundreds of thousands more have been negatively impacted by the wars that came as a result of September 11th. Thousands of American soldiers have been killed, injured, or have committed suicide. Many suffer mental health disorders, addiction, and homelessness as an emotional result of their time in combat. For every individual impacted in these ways, so too must we count their family and friends whose lives are changed by the effects on their loved one. When living out of a state of fear, many people become more susceptible to mob mentalities, extreme conclusions and deductions, “group-think”, prejudiced thinking, and the emotional manipulation of propagandists. Retaliation feels more becoming than reconciliation, which perpetuates cycles of violence.
For good or ill, American society has been altered by terrorism.

For any society, the ultimate consequences of terrorist attacks rests on its collective shoulder and is largely determined by the actions people and their government take as a response. In the wake of 9/11, the United States placed security as a top priority, sometimes in detriment to our freedoms and traditions. In the essay “Heading into darkness once again”, the author states, “The terrorist tries to break down civic life…[and] makes it necessary that inconvenience attaches to every act of the day.” This astute observation rings true today as security checkpoints have been normalized. We expect them at all major events and in public places like airports. Invasive pat-downs, surveillance, and body scans are more common than ever. Our government has deemed it fit to track citizens not only in public places, but it is now in the public record that millions of citizen’s phone calls, texts, emails, and purchases have been swept up and watched through massive surveillance programs. So too is it a matter of public record that anti-war protest groups, mosques, and others groups have had government spies planted in them to keep tabs on discussions. Through legislation like The Patriot Act, civil rights and privacy have arguably been curtailed. Programs of indefinite detention without trial, rendition, and torture have tarnished America’s reputation abroad. The two wars that resulted from 9/11 have affected the lives of millions. Still today, the far reaching geo-political consequences of Americas actions after 9/11 can be seen in world headlines. Vested interests throughout society, as well as terrorists, and agenda driven propagandists have used the attacks of 9/11 in attempts to stir and sway the public’s emotions and beliefs and capitalize on our

fears.
Terrorism is a highly complex issue with no simple solution. Attempts to simplify it does a disservice to citizens and efforts to bring about lasting resolution. Globalization, economic pressures, regional, ethnic, and political histories and disputes are as much a part of the terrorism equation as are beliefs, ideologies, and culture. Terrorism can also be the result of cults of personality, desires for retribution, as well as poor mental healthcare and economic support systems for individuals across the globe. We cannot simplify terrorism into an easy catch phrase or mentality of “us verses them”, “with us or against us”, “evil doers verses freedom lovers”, for if the essence of a terrorist attack is a disregard for life and dehumanization, then we must not dehumanize others. To my mind, violence is an act of the vulnerable and desperate. Individuals can become radicalized extremists by desperate situations or contexts, mental vulnerabilities and manipulation. Terrorists are tragic human beings, not monsters with no soul. Those who commit, endorse, and condone violence should be held fully accountable but we must not become extremists ourselves and forget their humanity. Responding to terrorism is not a choice between a police state, war crimes, and escalating retaliatory strikes or cultural and moral relativism, apathy, and surrender. I believe the best response and preventive measure we can take to terrorism is to double our efforts to uphold human rights and support human dignity across the world. Terrorism and atrocious acts of violence on groups of innocent people traumatizes both individuals and cultures, yet we must not let these heinous acts cause additional harms and corrode human rights or the fabric of society. We must maintain perspective in the aftermath of attacks and work together from a place of love, not fear, to find the best course of action to prevent terrorism and cope with senseless violence.