There are times when you just have to say enough is enough. Since we are college students, I realize we do not always appropriately apply this concept to our lives, particularly in the case of alcohol. It impairs our judgment, after all. However, the hopefully sober federal government cannot use such pretext. And it is time they realize enough is enough with the scare tactics in regards to terrorism.

I am sick of this battle with an uncontrollable foe. There obviously is a serious threat from terrorist groups like the al-Qaida. After watching 3,000 of our brethren perish via national television just over a year ago, I am pretty sure every American is aware of the perceived danger. It is hard to forget an image of countless tons of concrete, metal and human bodies crashing in a plume of smoke to the streets of New York City. It is impossible to forget.

But the real question is what can the average citizen do about it? Apart from extremely ludicrous concepts of ostracizing your neighbors and fearing all people of Middle Eastern decent, there is nothing we can do to prevent such catastrophes. Nothing as in zero, zilch, nada.

For this reason the way the government is handling this is absurd.

Every week newspapers write about a government report that states some ambiguous reason why we need to be afraid of terrorism every second of our lives. This week it is former top government officials and academics proclaiming how the next attack on us could be more devastating than the acts occurring on Sept. 11, 2001. The report on this was released last Thursday. It includes concerns such as vehicles coming into the country rarely being searched, the lack of training for the emergency of biological and chemical warfare, and inability of local police to access terrorist watch lists.

The week before it was the director of the CIA, George Tenet, alluding to beliefs that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida would likely strike Americans again soon. Not only will they strike again soon, but the tension is similar to that which existed pre-Sept. 11. The document even goes as far to say, “there are already signs that Americans are lapsing back into complacency,” due to the fact it has been over a year since the attacks. As I said before, though, that just is not something you can forget.

What Tenet’s report views as complacency, I see as a lack of other alternatives. Some citizens are going to take up arms and battle overseas to save the U.S. from terrorism. Those involved in the government are going to try to determine when the next possible assault on Americans will be. For those of us not in either of those groups we are stuck at home, curled into little fetal balls of fear, possibly creating new-fangled bomb shelters.

I adamantly refuse to be one of those people. I can just see that picture of Uncle Sam pointing at me saying, “Fear terrorism.” But the answer is no, I will not. The homeland security advisory system could be at the “severe” level and I will still say no. Truth be told, we are ranked only at “elevated” risk which means there is “a significant risk of terrorist attacks.” That is somewhat of an ambiguous definition. There are still a couple steps to go to be at severe alert, which is the worst.

One of the main reasons I choose not to fear terrorist attacks is because I actually trust our government to protect us. Honestly in the end, that is their job. We give up anarchy to be afforded protection by those we are giving some of our rights to. It is the essence of the limited-government scheme we are managed by. Our own Constitution deems it to be so when it states in the Preamble that the government will “provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty.” President George Bush’s war on terrorism, however ambiguous it may be, seems to at least attempt to follow these guidelines.

Director Tenet is unfortunately right about attacks on Americans, though. A handful of Americans have died recently in overseas attacks in Bali, Kuwait and the Philippines. These extremists are something our government needs to focus on in order to protect us better and they have to a large degree.

As for us civilians, it is important to be aware of the perceived threat, but not to be afraid of it. We really cannot control how al-Qaida and other groups will strike us next. They have proven themselves to be a clever and cunning adversary. Next time it may be more eccentric than having our own planes crash into us. Who knows? I certainly do not and I am just fine with that. I will not live my life in fear of something I cannot foresee or control. Sorry Sam, I will not fear terrorism.

Ayrel Clark

is a sophomore in journalism

and mass communication from Johnston. She is a member of the Daily’s

editorial board.