First there was the duct tape. Then there was the
Crayola-inspired, color-coded warning system. Now the latest, most
refined techniques are being employed in Washington for
counteracting terrorism: made-up words.
In an effort to combat potential terrorism, the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority designed and displayed posters
on its buses asking passengers to report
“sumpnspicious,” then defined the term as an unattended
bag.
Public awareness can greatly assist in the promotion of many
causes, but is there no better way to protect citizens from
terrorists? The official in charge of the project claimed it was an
attempt at “humor” (ah, the hilarity of terrorism) and
a way to get people’s attention, since the public is
overwhelmed with warnings from the police department, the local
government and Homeland Security.
Many complain that the media terrifies the public by
over-emphasizing the negative in our society. While newspapers
don’t make a great profit from running feature stories on
sunshine and smiley faces, we should not continue to ignore the
real scare-mongers: our government.
Yet the president irresponsibly manipulates fear in an attempt
to preserve his political popularity. Opponents to the war in Iraq
have argued that a U.S.-led invasion could be cultivating
resentment among the Iraqis, who, due to their eccentric culture,
dislike being bombed. Therefore, the United States could
inadvertently be promoting terrorism in its attempts to stop
it.
On Oct. 28, President Bush gave a speech addressing this idea.
He did not use a well-reasoned argument, or point to evidence or
statistics, but instead relied on misconceptions: “We were
not in Iraq on Sept. 11th, 2001, and al-Qaida attacked us
anyway.” Translation: Something really bad happened, and if
you don’t support me, it will probably happen again.
All of us ““ except the federal government, apparently
““ are aware that the majority of the Sept. 11 terrorists were
from Saudi Arabia. But the facts don’t help Bush conceal his
desperation to avoid further criticism. Indictments coupled with
criminal investigations have him running short on staff and
supporters, so he implies the war is the only way to ensure U.S.
security. It’s little wonder that Americans may feel inclined
to blindly believe him, hoping to avoid another catastrophe.
Another scare tactic used by the federal government is the
Department of Homeland Security’s Rainbow of Terrorism Chart.
According to the department’s Web site, we’re currently
at medium risk of an attack. That sounds threatening, but what does
it mean? Should I find a bomb shelter? Close the blinds? No one
tells us. The public needs to begin demanding accountability from
those who are supposed to be protecting us. Perhaps the war will
strengthen our security, but we need logic to convince us, not
sound bites or a lovely shade of fuchsia.
It leads one to wonder how legitimate the constant warnings we
receive ““ from the officials on television to posters on
buses ““ really are. On Oct. 12, Keith Olbermann of MSNBC ran
a story listing instances of the administration announcing possible
terrorist attacks every time it experienced political trouble.
In May 2002, the media was publicizing the negligence of the
federal government in ignoring that now-infamous memo declaring
al-Qaida’s planned attack on the United States. Two days
later, we were warned of “inevitable” attacks and
railroad systems nationwide were secured. All the warnings ““
including those inevitable attacks ““ given by the federal
government since Sept. 11 have been false alarms.
It is time we begin to recognize these vague threats for what
they are: distractions from the truth. The current administration
hopes to conceal its incompetency with fear. It hopes to divert our
focus from issues deserving our attention, such as allegations of
top-secret information being leaked by government officials. This
practice of vague and unwarranted warnings in Washington
illuminates a bigger problem on a national level. Until we begin
demanding reasons for the fright we are constantly bombarded with,
the public “fearanoia” will only continue.
If you enjoy making up words too, e-mail Strickland
at
mkstrickland@media.ucla.edu.