Americans are used to fighting wars — but on foreign soil. Since the Civil War ended 136 years ago, that’s been our custom.
Then, on Sept. 11, war hit home.
Our enemy is not a nation, but it is a force — a deadly force that must be reckoned with.
Our disbelief that day as we saw the World Trade Center burn and fall, followed by the image of a shattered Pentagon, gave way to dismay at the cataclysmic results, the inevitable death toll, the unfolding tragedy.
Words can hardly express our grief, our anger, our thirst for revenge, our hunger for peace.
In the hours after the strike, some lawmakers rushed to offer prescriptions — as much as $40 billion for vaguely defined military purposes. The president has asked, essentially, for a blank check.
Money will make a difference. But money alone will not win this war, a war not just on terrorists, but on terrorism. As Secretary of State Colin Powell said, the enemy must be destroyed down to its roots.
Winning this war will take much more than money. It will take resolve. Determination. Time. And lives. It will hurt.
America is conditioned to expect bloodless battles. But as the events of Sept. 11 showed, that’s probably not realistic in this new century.
As a nation, we must resolve to stay the course. We must be prepared to lose some battles on the road to victory. We must be willing to take risks, both politically and militarily. We must be ready to fight and determined to win.
We must look at our security and intelligence systems and question all conventional wisdom. It’s wise to continue developing our technological advantages — satellite imaging, remote sensing and the like.
But we also must develop intelligence-gathering abilities that enable us to penetrate terrorist organizations and gather critical information firsthand, while holding the line against further infiltration of our own systems.
Experts say it’s impossible to penetrate these close-knit organizations. But that’s defeatist thinking. Perhaps we can prove those experts wrong.
We must also look at ourselves and be prepared to make sacrifices in a way of life we long have taken for granted.
There are already new rules in place for civilian air travel, changes that respond directly to the tactics of the terrorists who hijacked four commercial jets in a single day and crashed each one. No more may knives be carried on board; electronic ticketing is over, at least for now; showing up for a flight 15 minutes before departure just won’t be possible.
Concerns will arise about the questions airlines may ask their passengers, or the information police organizations will be able to collect without individuals’ expressed consent. These will be difficult issues that cut to the core of what it means to be an American, and they will challenge us in ways we may not yet be able to fathom.
More changes could be proposed. It may be necessary to consider closing Reagan National Airport for good in order to gain a semblance of control over the airspace above our nation’s centers of power — Capitol Hill, the White House and the Pentagon.
The airport is much used and much loved for its proximity to downtown Washington, D.C. But while it played no part in the Sept. 11 tragedy, it’s arguable that the Pentagon, White House and Capitol cannot be adequately defended as long as that airport remains open.
For all the grief and anger that flows in the wake of this catastrophe, there is also a balm in the way it unites us as Americans, allowing differences to be forgotten or laid aside.
Let us strike back, but with precision. Let us fight back, but with determination. Let us dedicate ourselves to a victory that might not come quickly, but that once achieved, will endure.
Sixty years ago after the assault on Pearl Harbor, Japanese leaders feared in hindsight that they had “awakened a sleeping giant.”
Terrorists, beware: The giant is awake again.
