Facing Our Fears

Talking Points

“October Surprise” speculation abounds…

· In December 2003, New York Times columnist William Safire predicted a major terrorist attack in the US which would affect the November elections. In November 2003, General Tommy Franks speculated that a major terrorist attack would likely result in suspension of the US Constitution and the installation of a military form of government. Whether its to suspend the election, or affect the election results as many believe was the cause of the Spain attack, many security and terrorism experts speculate that terrorists might see an “October Surprise” attack as an opportunity to create fear and chaos.

· Right Wingers and pundits claim that in the event of an attack, the public will rally around the president or at least the most aggressive anti terrorist party.

· The Left and company are concerned that the right will use another attack as strategy to erode more civil liberties, and exert more governmental controls over individuals.

Election Monitoring Teams

· Invited by the State Department, The Vienna based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is a 55-nation body that encourages all member countries to observe each others elections. The delegation will not have the authority to assess the fairness of the vote, but will be expected to issue a report on any problems or shortcomings. (“Independent Election Observer Team Arrives in US” Jim Lobe)

· The 20 independent democracy experts invited by San Francisco based organization, Global Exchange come from 15 countries and 5 continents. They will research election preparation in five states with some amount of voting controversy (Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Missouri and Georgia) and hope to meet with local and state election authorities as well as civic groups involved in getting out the vote and ensuring fair elections. (“Independent Election Observer Team Arrives in US” Jim Lobe)

Is our fear of terrorism disproportionate to the threat it poses?

· According to the National Safety Council, mile for mile, Americans are more likely 37 times more likely to die in a vehicle crash than on a commercial flight – following 9/11 Americans flew 20% less than before and correspondingly in the three months following the number of vehicle related deaths rose 350 more than the previous average for those months. (“Do we Fear the Right Things?” David Myers 12/01)

· Smoking shortens the lifespan on average of five years – flying (averaged across people) shortens the life by about one day. (“Do we Fear the Right Things?” David Myers 12/01)

· Guns are responsible for about 30,000 deaths a year. Since 9/11 almost 3,000 people have died from terrorism worldwide. (“Do we Fear the Right Things?” David Myers 12/01 and MSNBC article)

Arab and Muslim American Experience since 9/11

· More than half of America’s 7 million Muslims admit to experiencing bias or discrimination since 9\11 – verbal abuse, religious or ethnic profiling and workplace discrimination.

· The same poll indicates that over three quarters of American Muslims also experienced special kindness or support from friends or colleagues of other faiths.

Nothing to fear but fear itself?

· According to psychologists, there are four main contributors to why we fear things that we do. First, we fear what we are evolutionarily disposed to fear, fear of confinement and heights are common contributors to a fear of flying. Second, we fear what we cannot control – driving is something we control, flying is out of our hands, literally. Third, we fear what is immediate – the lack of fear of the consequences of smoking can be due to the fact that they may seem “far off.” Fourth, we fear what is readily available in memory. Images of the planes colliding with the twin towers and their subsequent fall are indelible memories, made more lasting no doubt, by their frequent repetition in the media in the hours and days that followd. (“Do we Fear the Right Things?” David Myers 12/01)

· According to some psychologists, the key to managing fear and anxiety is to accurately assess the risk of the situation in terms of the best and worst case scenarios, realistic assessment of the likelihood of something negative happening and developing an action plan. (“Coping with Terrorism and Fear of Flying,” Dr. Kevin J Kelly)