Color-Coded Terrorism Advisory Scale

Six months after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S.A government created a color-coded terrorism advisory scale called the Homeland Security Advisory System which provides a "comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people." *1. It was published on March 12, 2002, by Tom Ridge, who was the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. The different levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at some airports and other public facilities.

The scale consists of five colors that represent the levels of threat. They show the probability of a terrorist attack and its potential gravity. Each of these levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at some airports and other public places. The red one states for a severe risk; the orange one states for a high risk; the yellow one states for a significant risk; the blue one states for general risk and the green one states for a low risk. The green and the blue ones have never been used.

The government provides general guidance for civilians and federal agencies, but some of its actions of the different threat levels are not published. These actions include increasing police and other security presence at landmarks and other high-profile targets, more closely monitoring international borders and other points of entry, ensuring that emergency response personnel are ready, and, in some cases, deploying members of the National Guard to assist local law enforcement on security details. *2. And the alert level was raised once in 2004, the tear of the past presidential elections that cause many people to think that the president of the United States government used it for political purposes rather than security ones.

I think it is a good try to have a code of colors for possible terrorist attacks risk, but I am not so sure that the levels of threat are accurate as, for example, “the evidence cited to justify changes in threat levels has been stated vaguely (see below) and its sources have seldom been revealed. This lack of disclosure makes the system vulnerable to manipulation by government officials.” *3. and according to what I have heard on TV. News, some of the actions of the government violate the rights of many people. I think that the risk of a terrorism attack can not be registered in a table as, for example, the Beaufort Scale *4., in which scientists can classify and register the type of wind according to their characteristics such as speed, direction, height, etc., and of course, the damaged caused. Thus, how can the people of the security- or any other-, of a country can determine how terrible will a terrorist risk be, how long will it last, where can it come from, etc.

I agree with the published terror alert that all American citizens, especially the ones that travel in the transportation systems, "to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to local authorities immediately." Also, that people have to prepare an emergency preparedness kit and a family emergency plan.

I would like to search and learn more about what common people think about this scale of color for the possible terrorist attacks risk -what they think, feel, and how do they act about it.-, I also would like to know how this new color code affects the life of them.

*1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_Security_Advisory_System_-_43k_–

*2. http://www.answers.com/topic/homeland-security-advisory-system%20-%2056k

*3. http://www.answers.com/topic/homeland-security-advisory-system%20-%2056k

*4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale_-_30k

Analizing Terrorism

I beging this essay copying some different definitions about terrorism, from different people who are from different places, but from the same world:

"the strategy of the weak for weakening the strong" (Roskin and Berry, p. 4);
"seeking to further political objectives through the threat or use of violence
usually in opposition to state governments?"(Kegley and Wittkopf, p. 222);
"Terrorist groups, seek the political freedom, privilege, and property they
think persecution has denied them" (Kegley and Wittkopf, p. 222); "usually used
by the powerless against the powerful" (Mingst, p. 178); "the use of violence to
achieve a political objective" (Papp, p. 127); “Using random and horrific acts
of violence against unsuspecting and innocent non-combatants is terrorism, and
moral people will condemn such acts no matter who undertakes them.” ( Michael
Walzer, in Just and Unjust Wars); “Terrorism is a strategy to weaken a hated
political authority. It is a security threat, but almost the opposite of the
nuclear one: little pinpricks instead of a huge bang." (Stanley Michalak ).

And so many others. I have read many definitions and thoughts about terrorism. Also, some interesting things about its history: Why it is called terrorism, when was it used for the first time, the meaning before and the meaning today - a strategy that explicitly targets innocent civilians -, etc. Also, about the opposite ideas abot who are the real terrorist as in the expressions: “One person`s terrorist is another person`s freedom fighter” 1. and “One group's 'freedom fighters' may be another group's 'terrorists'". 2.

Reading and analizing and comparing different definitions about terrorism made me learn that we are different.; I mean, everybody is different and we are always going to be different, and people try to reach their goals in different ways. Some of them are peaceful and others are violent as terrorism. I don´t defend neither support any act of terrorism. Based on the definition that terrorism uses violence usually in opposition to state governments or legal rules, I consider that several nations undertake terrorist attacks, too.

Concluding, from all these things I agree on three things. The first one is that although terrorism kills a few number of people, people worry about terrorism as it creates panic. You don´t know where the following attacks will be, how they are going to be, where you and your family and … will be. How would you act if you or one of your relatives are or is the next victim. Worst of all, you don`t know if you will be alive to talk about it. The second one is that I agree with the concept of terrorism is in the eye of the beholder: constitutes terrorism is often in the eye of the beholder and, in this case, killing civilians with a bomb dropped on a building by a warplane is no different than (sic) killing civilians by planting a bomb in a building". 3. It is natural that every one defends its opinion. Several powerful countries define terrorism in a self serving way. And the third one is that I agree with some people who say that defining terrorrism is difficult. I just would like fighting to stop. Violence brings violence. No one was born being violent. I just want to say that terrorism – or the way I definne it: a silent not loudly progressing war that sometimes expresses itself.

as a “boom”-, does not distinguish between civilians and military, and women and children, or the “good ones” and the “bad ones” as we children recognize in a cowboys movie. Terrorism used in a good cause is terrorism - as big or little lies or sins: They are still lies or sins.- and violence against unsuspecting and innocent non-combatants is terrorism, no matter who undertakes it so any act of violence cannot be excused and considered as legal by any justification.

As many people, I want and I hope terrorism to stop for ever. I would like young people to learn about it in order to learn the culture of the no violence. As terrorists use any means to express their incomformity, we can learn to use strategies to work on peace and finding peaceful ways to get our goals but based on values: fairness, respect to others, tolerance, etc. Students from all over the world can work on this by having practices or dynamics of things that occur in our own class. Thus, we can try to use them in our families, in our groups of friends, neighbors, players, etc., as we are always going to find things we do not agree with or like. Of course, we must remember the gold rule “Do not do others what you do not want for you”.

1.http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/66/Who_Owns_the_Word_Terror.html
2. http://hnn.us/articles/1129.htmlç
3. Rourke, pp. 346-47

Bibliographie

buffalo-israel-link.org/page10.html

hnn.us/articles/1129.html

adbusters.org/the_magazine/66/Who_Owns_the_Word_Terror.html

hnn.us/articles/1129.html

Terrorism

Terrorism means violence or any harmful act made against civilians by groups or persons for political or other ideological goals. Terrorism is a political tactic for creating fear or terror to try to convince a government or population to agree to demands to avoid future harm or fear of harm, destabilization of an existing government, causing a discontented population to join an uprising, hoping to break the actual state, showing the hardness of a grievance, or drawing attention to a cause that the government has forgotten. Terrorists rarely identify themselves as such, and usually use other terms such as: separatist, freedom fighter, liberator, revolutionary, vigilante, militant, paramilitary, guerrilla, rebel, or any similar-meaning word in other languages. Many political organizations have been using terrorism to reach their objectives as some both right-wing and left-wing political parties, nationalistic, and religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governments. They usually use explosives or poison, or weapons of mass destruction.to solve big political conflicts such as secessions, or dominance of a territory; dominance of resources by ethnic groups, imposition of a form of government, Economic deprivation, or opposition to a domestic government or occupying army.

I think terrorism is a terrible strategy used to try to get something as I consider it is not necessary to damage others. I agree with Walter Laqueur of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "the only general characteristic [of terrorism] generally agreed upon is that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence".*1 However, I think there are many acts that include violence that are not terrorist. I also think that as people do not think in the same way neither have the same thoughts, interests and feelings, there will always be injustice. Also, we are always changing our minds. However, we may not use violence or any other means to force others to think or act the way we do.I have never been in a situation of terrorism but I think it would be horrible. I have listened to the news and to the comments of some adults- my parents, my grandfather and others- about terrorism and I know that it is a hard problem to solve. Maybe it never ends, but we have to work hard on not to accept people who use or support it –sometimes we know or heard about people who are not terrorists but seem to agree with their ideas or acts-. The result will always be harm and injuries most of which can never be repaired. Nobody can give the life back to a dead person. On the other hand, I think that many countries have to build new treats that should have to be checked and changed according to the situations in order to be safe.

Terrorism affects us in different ways. For example, we have to think about how technology have influenced on terrorism and on the security and publications against it. Maybe, the way we use the web –as an example of technology-, could help on changing our minds. I agree with one of the philosophers of the Morris Institude for Human Values: "The Double Power Principle." It says that the more power anything has for good, the more it correspondingly has for ill. It's up to us how we use it. Nuclear science has great power for good. It also has a correspondingly great power for ill. *2. We have to analize the way in which we use things.

There’s a lot to know about terrorism, and there are many people who support or are against it. Nobody has the last word. I don’t think it is a matter of patriotism, but of humanity. No one wants to become a victim of terrorism. We cannot give up.
I´m very concerned about terrorism. It really makes me feel worried. I would like to have a magic stick to dissapear terrorism from the mind and hearts of people all over the world, but it´s only a dream. But many dreams can become true. If we learn and study more about it, and if we share our feelings and findings with others, and we begin by trying to solve the problems of our “different ways of thinking” around us, we will be building a better world. If all the governments teach the practicing of peace, we colud breath peace, too. Perhaps, in this way we could find solutions to this problem.

*1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism Terrorism, official definitions, Violence.

*2 www.morrisinstitute.com/weekly/mihv_pc_morris_65.html , Weekly Wisdom, Some Thoughts on Terror, Tragedy, and Ultimate Triumph.

Safety in Cartagena

Is it safe there for kids to walk on the streets? Ashley M. from Mr. Fisher’s Class wrote that question that I would really like to answer. Really Yes, here in Cartagena the safety is very good that’s why on weekend, almost every body go to place walking or hangout on streets with there friends with no problems. Obviously there is always a first time so you need to be careful with the time you get home or the age you need to be in some places.

Here in Cartagena the main neighborhoods that are Bocagrande, Castillograde, and Laguito are very secure, but if you go to the poor neighborhoods that they are kind of far away you may found a lot of thief, many bad people etc. All these reason is caused because of poorness. As you now here in Cartagena there are allot of poor neighborhoods where people doesn’t have houses, food an also many people have house with no roof.