For those of you who have read the news, you would have noticed an article about the Air Force One jet doing a flyby in New York for a photoop. For whatever reason it was done, and strange enough, with all the people performing the act, this was in the books for ultimate stupidity.
Given the Sept. 11 attacks, any city in the world would be paranoid over a plane flying on low altitudes. This chosen city was no ordinary city, this was New York, and flying a 747 in low altitudes is definitely a terrible idea. Proof of this is the reaction of everyone who witnessed the plane. People panicked, evacuated buildings, in short, everything was disrupted.
More importantly, people were highly anxious. The wounds of the attack have not completely healed, and everyone is still very tense over the situation. Everyone still feels vulnerable and this will remind them of their fear. People have learned to become scared again, to become more suspicious, and more closed.
Opening the wounds of Sept. 11 was definitely not a good idea, and what is obvious here is a total lapse of judgement.
The ugliest part of any terrorist attack is everyone’s post reaction to the situation. Division and prejudice will return, mistrust, fear, and the inability to think rationally will strengthen itself.
If this was the goal of the whole exercise, then they have accomplished their mission. Otherwise, they have just caused everyone a major heart attack.
Could anyone be so stupid enough to allow such an incident to happen? Hasn’t anyone in the entire organization thought twice about the implication of their actions? Perhaps, they all do know the consequences to their action, and their mission is definitely more than a flyby for a video. Their decision to scare locals of New York has a motive.
What New Yorkers need, as what everyone in the world needs, is reassurance that they are protected by their government. More importantly, what everyone needs is to know that the government is on their side. In the event that there is discovery of the government having a hand on intentionally scaring their own citizens, they have just burned that remaining bridge of trust.
Their action is similar to someone burning a house for movie purposes in a neighborhood who have just recovered from a major fire. People would obviously know the implication of such actions.
What has to be done now is a strong need of clarification and honesty. The government should step in and be honest. Heads rolling after the incident will just be a front for something deep and nasty. Scapegoats are forever popular in such front acts.
We should all learn to now be ever more vigilant of upcoming intentions. After all, panic has been the most effective way to get everyone to agree on irrational decisions for morbid intentions.
– Column by Haresh Daswani
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