Terrorism
Thomas White
Professor Shirk
International Politics
11-29-2021
Personal Experience with Terrorism
Terrorism is the greatest threat to immediate security in the 21st century. Defined by the FBI as two different concepts, there is both international and domestic terrorism. In class, international terrorism was obviously discussed more, and that is something that most in the US think less about, both because it less often affects their daily lives and also because the US government does not want to draw attention to actions they take that may be considered international terrorism. Domestic terrorism will be the topic of this Blog Post, both my personal experience with it and how a community can deal with its aftermath.
Terrorism is a concept that is impossible to fully understand until it affects you or someone in your community. Oftentimes, the media creates a narrative of sympathy for victims instead of empathy, where individuals are meant to feel bad for the victims of the terrorism and their families, feel bad for the psychological trauma they now must compartmentalize. Definitions of terrorism are often fought over because the definition allows for certain legal procedures to be executed, and because the word manipulates public opinion surrounding an attack. The aforementioned was the main discussion in class, however, I believe terrorism deserves a deeper dive, and stories from individuals with experience are the most informative ways to learn about the concept.
In April of 2013, I was 10 years old, I played soccer in Dorchester and ran track in South Boston, taking part in local programs that helped youth in the city of Boston get access to physical activity and give them an outlet away from the negative paths that were easy to get drawn into as a kid. These programs were some of my favorite memories of my childhood, my longest friends are all from these programs, I give back to them every summer, and these programs instilled in me the values necessary to get into college. Typically, with my family and friends, I would attend the Boston Marathon to watch my city come together around a sport that I loved, and usually, we would stand around the finish line. That year, two bombs exploded at the finish line, one of which ended the life of my friend Martin Richard. This story reverberated across the country, people sent sympathy and their prayers to the Richard family, especially after seeing one of the projects that Martin had recently made (attached below). What the Richard family did then after was create a foundation in honor of Martin, and to promote peace and opportunity for youth in Boston, called the MR8 foundation.
This story relates to class in that terrorism affects people on a personal level. My friends and I definitely felt the fear to go outside and attend events. We questioned why someone would want to kill our friend like that, simply because of the country we lived in. But we also saw how the MR8 Foundation has been a force for good in the community locally, where it has pushed a program of helping at-risk kids play sports and have access to programs, regardless of their financial status or disabilities. Similarly, it has held peace marches and events to promote ideas of peace within communities in the city that have been torn apart due to violence. Boston is a city that was devastated by the losses of three lives at the marathon, but we also were able to find our spirit as a community.
One of the worst effects of terrorism on a community is the hyper-vigilance that comes with it; it constantly feels like another one of your friends will die, you are always afraid of an event taking a wrong turn. I think my personal experience with it domestically has changed how I see the world globally, especially with terrorism. For example, when in class we were describing what things ‘count’ as terrorism, I think that feeling being an effect of the action qualifies it as terrorism. I think that it is obviously very important to learn about terrorism while looking upon it, but it is impossible to understand why the crime is so heinous without experiencing it yourself.
Obviously, this wasn’t a typical blog post, but I thought it would be a meaningful personal account to tell.
Photo of Martin
Thomas, thank you for sharing your experience and your encounter of domestic terrorism. I too remember the Boston bombing and watching it on tv from my own house (not in Boston), and the sheer terror that was going through all of our minds as we got attacked for the first time since 9/11. It is evident from your post that you allowed this experience to make you stronger and come up with a perspective that many Americans forget as we are usually so far away from terror. It makes you really think about the role America plays abroad and the drone strikes and violence we spread in the Middle East and other areas, even the killing of innocent kids in Syria and other places. Is the US any better than the terrorists that have attacked us?
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Thomas thank you for sharing your story and it really opened my eye to domestic terrorism and the effect the Boston bombing had on the local community compared to those farther away.
I think its sort of a strange distinction Eli and I appreciate your question because it is a true issue in my opinion that needs to be discussed more on the world stage. In some ways, it is less bad because it is remotely done and typically ordered by a superior (and the superior who orders it does not complete the drone strike) but from another perspective that makes it even worse because it shows how little the human life in the Middle East is valued. I don't necessarily think its fair to say we are not any better than them, because yes people like you and I are better than the Tsarnaev brothers, just like how everyday children in Syria are better than those having them killed.
DeleteAbsolute great post with great emotions involved. One question I will ask is how do you think the best way to prevent terrorism would be? Do you think more aggressive searching, background checks, and metal detectors everywhere would be the best way to do this, or would you say that this infringes on human rights?
ReplyDeleteYeah Austin it really is such a struggle to define what is safety and what is overreaching. Personally, I think the fallout of programs like the patriot act show that while it may prevent some things, aggressive infringements on personal freedoms do much more harm then good. The more aggressive you get, the more terrorists simply get better at avoiding security. Of course, basic steps should be taken (for example you basically cannot have a backpack at the Boston marathon anymore), however for the most part you aren't going to out-muscle terrorists with security. Their whole thing is that they will go to any measure to promote their message.
DeleteThomas, this was a very insightful and personal post so thank you for sharing your own experience. I completely agree with you that the word terrorism is often perceived as so extreme it is thought of as impossible to experience in your own life. I think this mindset also plays into how we are able to mask the true prevalence of terrorism and it's affects on people and societies. My question lies in what the United States determines as a terrorist attack. Is it only when a specific group of people are the victims? Or maybe even when a certain level of terror is reached among the public?
ReplyDeleteI think Annabelle that distinction with vocabulary is useful, especially in legal spheres, as it allows for (more) justice to be served. However, yeah, I really don't know the answer, and I don't think Americans know that answer either, which is part of the issue. We need to have a better understanding of what terrorism is, and learning too that it doesn't mean a Muslim man with a bomb.
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