Battle on the homefront

This afternoon, as we discussed the challenges of dealing with terrorism, particularly as an everyday fact of life, the first thing that came to my mind was, understandably, Israel, a country consistently in danger of attack and renowned for its military, intelligence, and security systems. What's more, part of this package deal of national defense includes civilians so alert that an unattended bag could be reported in a matter of seconds (and surely the country-wide draft into the IDF doesn't hurt such training).

In sharp contrast, as I stood in a DC Metro station one evening last spring, awaiting a typically late friend, I watched an unfolding of events - or rather, lack thereof - that struck me as both slightly comical and incredibly disturbing. A teenage girl, apparently travelling with a high school team for some sporting event, stopped in the middle of the station as her friends attempted to puzzle through the mysteries of buying a metro pass. When it became clear that her teammates where totally at a loss, she dropped her bulky duffle bag to the floor and walked over to assist. Still, it took them a good couple of minutes to work out the seemingly troublesome machine, during which time dozens of people had walked by the bag, noting it only if it stood in their pathway and required a brief change of direction. Meanwhile, the automated announcements over the loudspeaker reminded travelers to stand clear of doors and to ask "Excuse me, is that your bag?" upon coming across an unattended item.

Here we were, in one of the most powerful cities of one of the most powerful countries of the world, and no one saw any potential threat in the unavoidably large bag left in the middle of the bustling metro station. All were too much in a hurry, too busy to be bothered, unconcerned.

My friends and I had often considered the possible danger before, as well, standing in Metro Center amidst hundreds of other Washingtonians in the middle of weekday rush hour. How easy it would be to waltz in with, well, anything, and create massive chaos (now don't alert the authorities about me, we were considering it merely from the side of "This could be ridiculously dangerous").

At some time or another, this must have struck the thoughts of at least some Metro goers, packed in body-to-body and exits forever away - particularly if we recall moments like the 2004 Madrid train bombing, 2005 train and bus bombings in London, or the 2010 metro bombings in Moscow. It certainly is not unfeasible.

On the other hand, throughout history, the US has enjoyed its geographic isolation as natural protection. We are lucky enough not to be continuously under fire, and were therefore all the more jarred by 9/11's striking at the homeland. We've certainly been involved in conflict, but it is not generally an issue on our own soil.

It is fantastic that Americans can continue about our daily lives, taking safety for granted - but that taking for granted also potentially hampers us in making us less than alert, more reactive than proactive. Countries like Israel, which deal with acts of terrorism on a regular basis, have developed methodologies and systems, inculcated their citizens with awareness, etc, while we, with potentially more resources for doing just that, seem to trail behind in such ways.

The Metro loudspeaker can warn against unattended bags all day - and does - but it doesn't ensure that the problem is resolved.