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                         November 2, 2001

Life will never be 'normal' again

Commentary by Irene Brown
Editor

The world as we know it has certainly changed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and not for the better.

Now the country is under attack again. Not the eye-widening, "in-your-face" type of attack, but a sneaky, behind the scenes attack with a dirty little pile of powder that may have the ability to shut down the country. Yes, I’m talking anthrax and the devastating residue it has been leaving throughout the nation: fear.

Unfortunately, our politicians have not come forward to alleviate our fears as they did immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks. At that time every political figure in Washington was determined to show the country would not be intimidated. From patriotic singing on the Capitol steps to a heartening, "we won’t be defeated" presidential speech, there was reassurance coming in droves from Washington.

But where is that reassurance now?

Anthrax, and the threat of anthrax, has had a profound effect on people everywhere, even beyond the deaths and illnesses. The bioterrorism that shut down Congress and is threatening to cause major problems with mail delivery at the start of the Postal Services’ holiday rush could ultimately cause people to drastically change the way they live, work and survive.

Across the country, citizens are refusing to touch or open mail from places they don’t recognize. Junk mail has become a potential threat. That could spell disaster for all the companies that rely on bulk mailings as a way to advertise their services. Fear of anthrax being piped through air-filtering systems could keep people out of the malls this holiday season. Gas masks and stockpiles of antibiotics could be at the top of this year’s Christmas lists.

Businesses and government offices are already adjusting in anticipation of loss of revenues and productivity and the economic toll of adjustment will further tax an ailing economy. The next attack could ultimately claim many more lives, both in reality and in perception.

We need someone to step forward and tell us exactly what is happening and why. People are less apt to be afraid if they are well informed and there has never been a time in this country when secrecy could cause more damage. We don’t need to hear "there’s more chance of being hit by lightning" and then have the postmaster general tell us he "can’t guarantee the mail is safe." We don’t need to be told to go on with our lives and then have the FBI release a warning there could another terrorist attack.

The message of "returning to our normal lives" just doesn’t work anymore. The world has changed, and not for the better.