Acts of Terrorism and Social Change in the United States

3109 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: International terrorism vs domestic terrorism

On 10 September, 2001 the citizens of the United States went about their day-to-day activities without any thoughts of a terrorist attack occurring. Americans who were lulled into this mindset by the false pretenses of security and the history that America has never had a multifaceted terroristic attack occur on her soil. However, on the morning of September 11, 2001 this attitude would be ceaselessly changed and change the life of all Americans. The United States has become known as the melting pot of culture due to the diversity of citizens; consequently, this has also led terroristic events committed by individuals and factions to share their ideologies and attempt to bring about social change. This social change may influence an infinitesimal amount of people or it may have a global impact affecting the world in some way, shape, or form. Domestic and international terrorism are two factors which have shaped and continue to shape life in the United States. Domestic events tend to have a more direct impact on American policy and the livelihood of her citizens; whereas, international terrorism may impact in ways not directly understood by the American people.

Discussion

According to a study published in 2011 by the Heritage Foundation, between the years of 2001-2009 there were 471 terrorist attacks against the United States, of these only 91 of these are what is considered homegrown (Muhlhausen & McNeil, 2011). Some of the most memorable attacks against the United States that occurred domestically in recent years are the: 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, 1996 Atlanta Olympic Bombing, 1999 Columbine Shooting, 2001 the events of September 11, 2012 Sandy Hook Shooting, 2012 Aurora Colorado Shooting, and the 2013 Boston City Ma...

... middle of paper ...

...rm Intelligence after 9/11. Public Administration Review, 700-706.

Kurtulus, E. N. (2011). The “New Terrorism” and its Critics. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 476–500.

Poulin, M. J., Silver, R. C., Gil-Rivas, V., Holman, E. A., & McIntosh, D. N. (2009). Finding Social Benefits After a Collective Trauma: Perceiving Societal Changes and Well-Being Following 9/11. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 81-90.

Rothenburger, L. (2013). Terrorist Groups: Using Internet and Social Media for Disseminating Ideas. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 7-23.

Seirmarco, G., Neria, Y., Insel, B., Kiper, D., Doruk, A., Gross, R., & Litz, B. (2011). Religiosity and Mental Health: Changes in Religious Beliefs, Complicated Grief, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Major Depression Following the September 11, 2001 Attacks. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 10-18.

Show More
Related

  • Terrorism is Wrong

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article “Is Terrorism Distinctively Wrong?”, Lionel K. McPherson criticizes the dominant view that terrorism is absolutely and unconditionally wrong. He argues terrorism is not distinctively wrong compared to conventional war. However, I claim that terrorism is necessarily wrong.

    Read More

  • 9/11 Informative Speech

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    Host: On September the 11th 2001, the notorious terror organisation known as Al-Qaeda struck at the very heart of the United States. The death count was approximately 3,000; a nation was left in panic. To this day, counterterrorism experts and historians alike regard the event surrounding 9/11 as a turning point in US foreign relations. Outraged and fearful of radical terrorism from the middle-east, President Bush declared that in 2001 that it was a matter of freedoms; that “our very freedom has come under attack”. In his eyes, America was simply targeted because of its democratic and western values (CNN News, 2001). In the 14 years following this pivotal declaration, an aggressive, pre-emptive approach to terrorism replaced the traditional

    Read More

  • Fear and the Human Psyche

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...de Americans on September 11, 2001. Now we are being told this number is possibly three times higher than originally reported, adding to the horror in America’s citizens. Society has been indoctrinated in the belief that there is continuously a worldwide threat. Paranoia and anxiety has been the key focal point and the American way of life.

    Read More

  • The Criminal Justice System After 9/11

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    September 11, 2001 was one of the most devastating and horrific events in the United States history. Americans feeling of a secure nation had been broken. Over 3,000 people and more than 400 police officers and firefighters were killed during the attacks on The World Trade Center and the Pentagon; in New York City and Washington, D.C. Today the term terrorism is known as the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives (Birzer, Roberson). This term was clearly not defined for the United States for we had partial knowledge and experience with terrorist attacks; until the day September 11, 2001. At that time, President George W. Bush, stated over a televised address from the Oval Office, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” President Bush stood by this statement for the United States was about to retaliate and change the face of the criminal justice system for terrorism.

    Read More

  • Zero Dark Thirty is a Movie Loosely Based on Osama Bin Laden

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    Historical Significance: The September 11th, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, orchestrated by Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, were the events that launched the U.S. War on Terrorism. Al-Qaeda’s attack on the United States was carried out by members of radicalized Islamic groups, whose objective was to spread jihad against the secular influence of the West. This tragic event provided the historical b...

    Read More

  • 1993 and 2001 Attacks to the World Trade Center

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sedgwick, M. (2004). Al-Qaeda and the nature of religious terrorism. Terrorism and Policical Violence, 16(4), 795-814.

    Read More

  • The Psychological Impact of Terrorist Attacks

    2449 Words  | 5 Pages

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) are two stress disorders that occur after a traumatizing experience. PTSD is defined as a disorder that follows a distressing event outside the range of normal human experience and that is characterized by features such as intense fear, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, and reliving the event. Acute stress disorder is defined as a disorder that is characterized by feelings of anxiety and helplessness and caused by a traumatic event. It also usually occurs within a month of the event and lasts from 2 days to 4 weeks. Dealing with experiences like the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks in 2001 were difficult for people and easily classified as traumatizing experiences. For times like these when a large number of people experience a traumatizing experience and will probably develop PTSD or ASD, there is no precedent for how to treat them. The only tool that can be used at these times is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), to classify the disorder. No real solution exists for a treatment process for an incident of this scale. The three journal articles I will be using show statistical data about how people dealt with these experiences and what percent of them developed PTSD or ASD. They also show how many people showed signs of these disorders but never contacted a professional to help treat it. Even as far away as Brussels, expatriates of the United States felt the effects of the attacks of September 11th.

    Read More

  • Safety vs. Freedom

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    America has had 21 terrorist attacks, from 2000 to 2009 consisting mostly of al-Qaeda and suicide bombers (infoplease.com). Osama Ben Laden, leading al-Qaeda’s attacks is fed up with the way America treats the world. Blaming America for global warming and determined to stop them by sending suicide bombers and hijacking planes. After the 9/11 attack America changed the way they looked at security, putting into effect; Airport Security Federalization Act of 2001: To deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools (The Library of Congress).

    Read More

  • Terrorism and Moral Panic in America

    1644 Words  | 4 Pages

    Herman, E. & Sullivan, G. O.1989. The Terrorism Industry: The Experts and Institutions That Shape Our View of Terror. New York: Pantheon.

    Read More

  • Challenges Facing America

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    Americans have considered terrorism as a horror that occurs in other countries and not as a real threat to America itself. As the recent terrorist attacks on our nation shows, this opinion was gravely incorrect. There are several policies in both the private sector and our government, which contributed to our vulnerability to terrorism.

    Read More

  • The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Pape, Bloom, and Horowitz

    1414 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Terrorism involves the use of violence by an organization other than a national government to cause intimidation or fear among a target audience;” at least, this is how Pape (2003) defines terrorism in his article “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism” (343). The goal of this article by Pape is to discuss suicide terrorism and how it “follows a strategic logic, one specifically designed to coerce modern liberal democracies to make significant territorial concessions” (343). Similar to Pape, Bloom (2004) and Horowitz (2010) also delve into the exponential increase of suicide terrorism and why it occurs. Although Pape, Bloom, and Horowitz concur that suicide terrorism is increasing, they disagree why it is so prominent. While the arguments presented from each of these researchers is powerful and certainly plausible, suicide terrorism is in fact not irrational, but strategic and is most often caused by state occupation and, when organized, aimed specifically at democracies.

    Read More

  • Is State Terrorism '?: Is State Terrorism A Valid Concept?

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    The threat of global terrorism continues to rise with the total number of deaths reaching 32,685 in 2015, which is an 80 percent increase from 2014 (Global Index). With this said, terrorism remains a growing, and violent phenomenon that has dominated global debates. However, ‘terrorism’ remains a highly contested term; there is no global agreement on exactly what constitutes a terror act. An even more contested concept is whether to broaden the scope of terrorism to include non-state and state actors.

    Read More

  • Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Currie, Stephen. "Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda." Terrorists and Terrorist Groups. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2002. 69-83. Print.

    Read More

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Born on the Fourth of July Movie

    2026 Words  | 5 Pages

    Schiraldi, G. R. (2009). The post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: A guide to healing, recovery, and growth. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    Read More

  • Terrorism in the 21st Century

    3445 Words  | 7 Pages

    On September 11, 2001, the destruction of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon changed the mindset and the opinion of nearly every American on the one of the most vital issues in the 21st century: terrorism (Hoffman 2). Before one can begin to analyze how the United States should combat such a perverse method of political change, one must first begin to understand what terrorism is, where it is derived from, and why there is terrorism. These issues are essential in America’s analysis of this phenomenon that has revolutionized its foreign policy and changed America’s stance in the world.

    Read More

More about Acts of Terrorism and Social Change in the United States

Open Document