resilience

noun  re·sil·ience   \ri-ˈzil-yən(t)s\

 

: the ability to become strong, healthy or successful again after something bad happens

 

 

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RESILIENCE IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST NATIONAL STRENGTHS.

WE MUST NOT LET FEAR PARALYZE US.  EVER.

 

 

One of the most important things we must do it to strengthen our public health infrastructure.  We must be certain that our public health system has the wherewithal to cope with the physical and psychological (emotional, behavioral and cognitive) consequences of a conventional, biological, chemical or radiological attack on the United States.

 

Generally speaking, terrorism IS NOT an existential threat to the United States – meaning terrorists do not threaten the continued existence of the United States (a possible exception to this is chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) weapons).  The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks illustrate the point that terrorism is not an existential threat.  Although the 9/11 attacks were, by far, the most devastating domestic attacks in United States history, the terrorists' actions did not come anywhere near risking the survival or existence of America.

 

Although most terrorist activity is not an existential threat, attacks can be extremely disruptive, can kill American citizens in small numbers and can take a tremendous physical and psychological toll on our society.  Therefore, the most important thing we as citizens can do is continue to strengthen our resilience.  Bad things will happen on occasion and, as a society, we need to have the capacity to quickly absorb the event, recover from it and move forward.  Although terrorists do not have the power to eliminate the United States, they do possess the capacity to fundamentally change who we are as a nation if we are not careful.   

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