"How are we supposed to start our lives with death looking over our shoulders?" (Higgins, 7). The quote above is an eloquent example of how terrorism can paralyze people and can create victims even out of those that were not present at the site of the attack. Terrorism is a pernicious modern phenomenon because it is an assault on the psychology of a people or a nation. As a direct result of this, the damage caused by terrorism extends far beyond whatever body count one particular act of terror generates. These psychological ramifications create indirect victims, victims of a terrorist attack who were not at the site of the attack. Additionally, terrorists themselves are victims of terrorism due to their brainwashed indoctrination in the culture of death.
Terrorists attempt to unbalance an entire society. Indeed, "terrorism erodesùat both the individual level and the community levelùthe sense of security and safety people usually feel. Terrorism challenges the natural need of humans to see the world as predictable, orderly, and controllable" (Hamblen). These attacks, then, are aimed at shaking the very foundation of the society they target leading to consequences that can be very prolonged for both the individuals involved and the larger community.
In the United States, the tragedy of September 11, 2001 has been seared in the public consciousness of the entire nation. 9/11 also provides a vivid example of terrorism's ability to create indirect victims. Note the following statistics:
Research on the effects of 9/11 on the country as a whole, using national samples, showed that within the first 5 days following the attacks 44% of all Americans reported the were experiencing at least one symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Another study found that the amount of time the average American spent watching television coverage of the events was directly related to their experiencing symptoms of PTSD (Hamble...