Déjà boom

On Sep. 28 the Eiffel Tower was evacuated after a bomb threat. It was the second of two bomb threats within two weeks on the Eiffel Tower in addition to two other threats on railway stations in Paris. The French authorities remain on their toes and the British and Germans have also just uncovered the possibility of a planned attack. Ring any bells?

Security at the Eiffel Tower

Photo: France and other European nations have undergone several terrorist threats within the past few weeks.

France and other European nations have undergone several terrorist threats within the past few weeks.  Photo courtesy of Associated Press.

Everyday we are hearing more and more about the threat of terrorism. It's seen and read daily in the news - there is coverage of attacks overseas from Israel to India and England to Afghanistan. The focal point is currently Europe, but we in the U.S. have also been in that position before. From the "underwear bomber" this past Christmas to the Times Square bomber, the constant reminder of terrorism is a dark cloud getting darker.

And the fight against terrorism is far from over. On Sep. 29, a German counterterrorism source said that a captured Afghan man revealed plans for a "Mumbai style" attack in Britain, France and Germany. This terrifying possibility is enough to turn anyone's stomach. Mumbai, India suffered more than 10 simultaneous attacks in 2008 from Pakistani terrorists. One hundred and seventy-eight people were murdered and hundreds more wounded. It is not surprising that so much of the world is under a code red.

It's sobering to note the prevalence of terrorism in our generation. Born when the Cold War was ending, a time when our parents lived in fear of nuclear war, our generation has grown up with the constant reminder of terrorism. The 9/11 attacks triggered it all, and now we face the looming question of what could be next. The shoe bomber, the underwear bomber and the Times Square bomber exemplify the risk to our country. Fortunately, these attacks were thwarted at the last possible minute. But how do we know that suicide bombers won't eventually start blending in with society and strike in our cities, office buildings, shops and restaurants?

The truth is that we don't know. All we know is that terrorism is becoming an even more serious threat each day and is always a topic of discussion in the news. We know that, we grew up with it, but we have to stop it. Terrorism has defined our lives – it's always been in the background. From the devastating 9/11 attacks to being escorted to class during the sniper attacks, our world has revolved around terror. We can only hope that this constant reminder of terrorism will make our country all the more dedicated to fight for the principles of our country and show them that it won't defeat us; we will fight back.