Potential Terrorist Attack

It is hard to not be nervous about stories like this:

Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller will hold a news conference Wednesday amid intelligence that has increased concern over the possibility of a major terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

For weeks, security officials have expressed concern about several upcoming high-profile events, including Saturday's dedication of the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington.

Other potential targets include the G8 economic summit on Sea Island, Georgia, Fourth of July celebrations, the Democratic convention in Boston, the Republican convention in New York, and the Olympics in Greece.

I am not going to say that the potential for terrorist attacks has played a huge part in my life decisions, but it certainly has some power at the margins. I was never much interested in attending law school in New York City, but after 9/11 I did not even consider it. Likewise, I hate big crowds and keep unusually early hours, so I probably would not ride the Metro during rush hour anyway. But the slightest fear that rush hour subways make for a great target makes it even more certain that I will stick to my unusual schedule. It was not enough to keep me out of Washington completely, and my office is mere blocks from the White House. But it does weigh on my mind from time to time, and I cannot help but feel that there has been insufficient effort to help us all learn to deal with this. Too much denial, too much bluster, too much machismo, and not enough straight talk and positive efforts to actually make us be and feel safer.