Do you feel in control? ... Or do you feel so helpless that you feel unable to protect yourself or your loved ones?



Are you among those who feel that it is the federal government's primary responsibility to ensure your safety and security? Or do you feel that there are times when you would forego safety and security for the sake of freedom and liberty?

You may control much of what goes on in your own life: whether to smoke or not, whether to over-indulge with food or alcohol, whether to swim in unknown waters or to only take your family to a guarded and protected beach. All of these things have to do with your own and your family's personal safety and health - and, for the most part, are within your personal choices and within your own control. But, what about natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, or terrorist acts, such as the Beslan School massacre in Russia. What can you do about those if they threaten your neighborhood?

Regardless of what you think, you have the power to enhance our security by discouraging potential terrorist attacks and by mitigating the terrible effects inflicted on our communities by catastrophic natural or man-made disasters. Think about it - can you ever be truly "safe" if your nation or your community is at risk?

Irrational Fear ... or Informed Decisions?

Ignorance, prejudice, unfound fear and apathy compromise both our safety and our security. Each of us needs to be fully informed as to what threat we face, become engaged in educating and helping others, and actively become involved in viable solutions rather than being part of the problem.

Knowledge will help you assess the level of risk that you may face.

Awareness will minimize the terrorists' ability to act. Involvement will ensure that we maximize our potential to protect those we love and to preserve the freedom that we enjoy. Smart choices will mitigate the potential damage that a terrorist attack may generate.

The history of the United States is replete with examples of our citizens overcoming enormous challenges to form our democracy from the crucibles of conquest, exploitation, internal and external strife, pandemic disease and global war.

Though we have emerged as one of the most powerful democracies the world has known, it was not without sacrifice. America has never been "safe" - it is not presently safe - and the odds are that it will never be safe. But that doesn't mean that we need live in constant fear. It means that we do need to be aware of what threats we face and make informed decisions as to how we, as a nation, as a community and as individuals, respond the those threats.