|
2005 Aquidneck World Affairs Essay Contest & Symposium
Homeland Security or Insecurity? Ryana Barbosa, Portsmouth Abbey School Security to me, an average high school student in America, means being able to stay home alone during vacation and not have my parents fuss over not answering the door unless I’m sure I know who it is, and even then to be cautious. Security to me means being able to sleep soundly knowing I was too lazy to activate our house alarm. Security to me means not waking and seeing an article in the newspaper and finding out that another teenage female body was found in some remote forest after being sexually abused, mangled and then finally disposed of. Security for my naïve mind basically extends to the extent of the street I live on. But predators, whether they be al Qaeda terrorists, Timothy McVeigh protégés, or simply a few high school teenagers who think it would be fun to shoot a few of the faculty and students, pose a threat to anyone and everyone they encounter who gets in the way of their twisted ambition. In this day and age it is no longer adequate for me to only concern myself with dangers in my near surroundings, because unfortunately threats to my life, my security and that of my family and friends will follow me wherever I go. But even beyond the danger of mankind, there is a greater instability that threatens every life even more so than man because it is controlled by a power far greater than ourselves: Nature. So in a new light, security to me means feeling safe, wherever I go, from all the elements of nature, including all creatures and even nature itself. In the U.S.A. numerous organizations have been set up to ensure national security. Among the 13 intelligence organizations making up the U.S. intelligence community, the most prominent is the CIA (National Security 13). The FBI, the NSA, and more recently Homeland Security have entered the realm of Defense (National Security 16). They have been developed with the objective of gathering as much information as possible about our enemies and even our allies to ensure protection for the United States along with its various interests. Since the unfortunate attack on September 11, 2001, security in the Unites States has reached a new climax. For some this is reassuring, whereas for others, it diminishes their sense of freedom and they feel the price to pay for feeling safe is becoming quite expensive. However these organizations will continue to collect and analyze any information for the protection of their government and its assets. I believe the government’s main concern regarding the development of these intelligence organizations is solely for the purpose of preserving its assets and making sure that we, as the United States of America, maintain our strength, our spirit, our wealth and most importantly our power. As for the security of the people, I believe the tripled surveillance in airports, the random searches and other notable adjustments made in light of 9/11, are more a means of comfort and reassurance than actual security. Its makes people feel much more secure to know that everyone’s luggage is being checked as well as their passports before boarding their plane. I believe in order to have security, it is essential to diminish fear and that is where the cameras and the metal detectors serve their main purpose in terms of reassurance of one’s safety. I believe for people to feel secure, they must first and foremost have faith in their government. Aside from human threats and government conspiracies, another killer on the loose that has yet to be apprehended is Mother Nature and her mischievous acts. In the wake of the unfortunate events of the earthquake and tsunami in southeastern Asia (Tsunami 30), people have had yet another reason to pray for redemption in hopes of making horrible catastrophes cease to exist. But unlike nuclear weapons and bioterrorism, one cannot dismantle or find an antidote to the mysteries of nature, only try his hardest to pinpoint when and where. In the case of all natural disasters, there is no prevention. I think the first step to security in this case is to realize that fact, accept it and stay as far away as possible. In the aftermath of any catastrophe such as natural disasters, disease, and war, people are always afraid. These occurrences unfortunately have become the world’s destiny as well as its doom. Because people are more unpredictable than the weather, any proposition will fall short of ensuring total security however I believe having hope can go a long way. To achieve Churchill’s peace and security, one can dream, but until then I suggest better communication and respect between all countries, more funds and support, better youth programs everywhere, and limited access or none at all to weapons of mass destruction. In essence, “We will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights” as stated by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General. Works Cited Annan Urges Sweeping UN Reforms. 21 Mar 2005. BBC NEWS UK Edition. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4367015.stm Brzezinski, Matthew. Fortress America: On the Front Lines of Homeland Security- An Inside Look at the coming Surveillance State. New York: Bantam Books, 2004 Kessler, Ronald. Inside the CIA: Revealing the Secrets of the World’s most Powerful Spy Agency. New York: Pocket Books, 1992 Thomas, Evan and George Wehrfritz. “TSUNAMI: Waves of Grief In the Face of Unimaginable Tragedy and Heroism”. Newsweek. 10 Jan 2005 (30-36) Watson, Cynthia Ann. US National Security: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2002 (13-17)
Gregg C. Ducey. Basis of Foundation. Rogers High School. Alexandra Kalita. Security in a Globalized World. St. George’s School. Arto Eli Leino. Democracy: The Road to Peace and Security. Portsmouth Abbey School. Courtney Mitchell. Security Today. Portsmouth Abbey School.
|
Winning Essay
|
© 2008 | The Aquidneck Collaborative for Education | Updated August, 2008 An Initiative of the Education Department of Salve Regina University |