National Airport reopened Thursday with limited service. Baggage scanners now sit behind the check-in desks; they may well become a common sight in all airports as the rest of the country works to increase security precautions. Passengers must now arrive two hours before all domestic flights, and the route to one’s gate now includes multiple identification checks.
The airport may appear safer, but D.C. still remains at high risk. Until recently such a level of concern would have been limited to apocalypse theorists and Hollywood; the threat of a large-scale attack on American ground was temporarily banished from the public’s worry list with the end of the Cold War. Now, however, there is no reason to rule out any possibilities.
On CBS’s Face the Nation, Attorney General John Ashcroft noted that more terrorist attacks are entirely possible. “We think there is a very serious threat of additional problems now,” Ashcroft said.
D.C. is clearly a prime target. But what can be done?
This country’s susceptibility to attack is rooted in many of its defining characteristics. Due to our incredibly diverse population, people of pretty much any background don’t stand out nearly as much as they might in other countries. You have to act pretty odd around here to get noticed.
America’s rather porous borders also make entry and exit relatively easy. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that the federal government will now have the power to detain any foreigner suspected of terrorism for up to one week without bringing charges. But the effectiveness of such a measure has yet to be determined; American intelligence efforts may still operate one step behind.
As residents of a city which doubles as a prime target, we are faced with a uniquely paranoia-inducing threat. Chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, to use one overused phrase, may be wielded against us. What to do? Leaving town may at first seem a crazed, bizarre reaction, but if it saves your life, it can’t be all that outlandish. Besides, there’s really no reason to leave this major urban center just to return to another one, should you be from a large city.
Since the attack, many Americans have opted to purchase guns in hopes of better protecting themselves. Thankfully, most Georgetown students don’t have that option. What students should do, however, is have some idea of what to do if biological weapons are used against D.C. Determining one’s vaccine record is a good place to start.
Ensuring public health in an emergency, however, is ultimately the realm of District authorities. As several major medical centers are nearby, we are better off than most. However, there certainly aren’t enough vaccines in the area to inoculate the entire population in a short period of time. Mayor Williams needs to work with the federal government to ensure that the District could protect its citizens in the event of an attack. Stockpiling vaccines would be an excellent first step.
A wider education plan to prepare area residents to deal with a chemical or biological attack would be an even better plan. Teaching citizens how to protect themselves from an immediate threat, how to seal off one’s home in the event of wind-born viruses and how to spot symptoms would come at a huge cost and effort, but is ultimately the only responsible preparation. The city owes it to itself.
