Against Terrorism [Final]

Terrorism today has become an international threat. It creates a worldwide buzz that affects many people. Many of these terrorists commit acts that threaten the lives of innocent civilians, and even the terrorists themselves, while the remaining others are operating behind-the-scenes. Some say terrorism was caused by the difference in religious beliefs. Some say it is because of the deprivation of resources. While others say it is caused by their nationalism. Whatever the cause, they still affect the world by instilling fear in the minds of the people.

Terrorism has affected the sectors of numerous countries. Society has been affected the most as terrorists, even accidentally, injure or kill numerous people in areas around the globe. Perhaps the most shocking of all the terrorist attacks was the attack on the World Trade Center, also known as “9/11”. It created an atmosphere of ‘terror’ as the world witnessed the fall of the ‘twin towers’.

Even in our own nation, terrorism is still a big factor that affects society. The numerous threats posed by terrorist groups in the Philippines get everyone scared. There have also been reports of several bomb blasts in Manila in the past. One such incident killed 13 people, and injured several more.

There have been many attempts at stopping terrorism. One such way is by executing a preemptive strike. This has its benefits such as neutralizing unsuspecting terrorist groups. A problem that is presented to this solution is that if that certain terrorist group knows about their ‘preemptive strike’. It can make the plan a disaster. A type of ‘preemptive strike’ that can be useful is interrogation. This can reveal plots by questioning suspected terrorists. The only problem is if they get a wrong person. They end up questioning that person but later on they realize that that person is not really a terrorist, and they just wasted valuable time. Another way is by military intervention. Although the military has been known as a powerful force against terrorists, history proves it otherwise. In the past, the military has rarely been successful in preventing terrorism. In fact, it only makes terrorism worse, as it makes the popularity of the terrorist cause grow. Even the simplest solutions, such as tightening security in public places, can help minimize the threat. Although it is simple and effective in a small way, there still have been mistakes. Sometimes, the smallest detail they miss can lead to a nationwide disaster. Plus, the objects used to harm people are deceiving. So, even with all these countermeasures, terrorism still occurs.

What I propose for a solution to minimize, or even prevent terrorism is for the people to ‘walk in each other’s shoes’. The terrorists need to know and feel what happens to the lives of people when they commence attacks. In fact, they already feel a part of what happens, the fact that lives are lost with or without reason. Of course, I’m talking about the fact that there is a war going on in their homelands. There are terrorists held as captives, aren’t there? Why not make them feel the “terror” they’ve been causing, all of the wanton destruction and whatnot. Hopefully, they’ll change their ways and convince the others to change as well. In turn, we also have to know why these terrorists do these acts, or why they turned to terrorism. Even a glimpse of their lives might change our views on them. Try to live, even just a day, in the life of a ‘terrorist’, or to be more specific, try to ‘live’ in the environment of a ‘terrorist’. Hopefully, it will uncover the real reasons on why they do the things they do.

“It is only when we know the true cause of the problem can we find the true solution.”