Editorial: Americans must remain on alert

Just as Americans cheered for their sports teams Sunday, they cheered for their nation’s reaction to terrorism.

Crowds in stadiums chanted and waved flags as they watched or listened to President George W. Bush’s announcement of military strikes in Afghanistan. Sunday was the right time to put our words into action and move to the next level – from shock to retaliation.

Americans have waited long enough for the moment when the United States would take action against those responsible for attacking our people and our symbols of freedom.

Sunday’s military strikes delivered a temporary feeling of control. But ready to put a chokehold on that security are the chances of more terrorist attacks on American soil.

Analysts have been saying that American military action would incite more terrorist attacks in the states, stating a probability of 100 percent.

Americans need to realize that while the nation has begun its war, the terrorists’ war on America may be far from over.

Although the consensus has been for the nation to get residents’ lives back to normal, it must be understood that the definition of normal was forever changed on the morning of Sept. 11, and life will never again be the same.

Terrorist cells remain hidden and elusive at best and could strike anywhere, and by any means.

Panic is not the answer, but neither is a feeling of immunity. It was because of America’s sense of invincibility that last month’s attacks caught everyone completely off-guard.

If any lesson in history is valuable, it is that of the Titanic. Its builders touted the ship as unsinkable, but the ship was made by human hands and therefore fallible.

It would be un-American to claim America is sinkable, but people do run this ship, and the nation must be prepared for the possibility of errors and more terrorist attacks.