November 28, 2017
Rachel Librach
In the last few months, our nation has suffered through one tragedy after the next.
From hurricanes in the South, to fires and earthquakes in the West. From the mass shooting in Nevada, to the terrorist attack in New York. How is one expected to react in the face of such devastation?
While it is never easy to live with tragedy, especially if it takes place in your own backyard, fear and hate only deepen the wound and give satisfaction to the aggressors.
On Oct. 31, eight people were killed and 12 were wounded after a truck attack. “The New York Times” called the incident “the deadliest terror attack on New York City since Sept. 11, 2001.”
New York is a state that is all too familiar with the damage and devastation caused by terror attacks.
If you question a New Yorker about the events that took place on 9/11, their response might start with expressing their sorrow and heartfelt grievances looking back on that day.
However, the follow up to that response might be about how the people of New York united on that day, more than ever, and pulled each other through that dark time.
Yes, life was scary then, but they would not let that fear and depression have dominion over their lives.
Similarly, after the tragic event on Oct. 31, New Yorkers were asked to respond to this terror-driven attack.
Their choice to continue with the Halloween parade and not allow this terror and fear to seep into their lives was a uniting force throughout the city. “USA Today” described this parade as a “dance down 6th Avenue in defiance of terror.”
In the “USA Today” article, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that “This was an attack on the United States of America, an attack on New York City, an attack on our people and it was the definition of terrorism, an effort to take away people’s hope and spirit and to make them change.”
“What New Yorkers showed already is we will not change, we will not be cowed, we will not be thrown off by anything,” he said.
These sentiments were shared by many of the people in New York.
Donna Hazel tweeted “NYC. My beautiful, maddening, crazy, resilient home. We’ll handle this.”
Frida Valme wrote “We are resilient in NYC. Nothing will break us. Thoughts and prayers to the families of those victims in today’s attack” in a tweet.
Despite the evil and vicious attempts of the terrorist, New York did not give in. They did not surrender to fear. Instead, the people united and refused to let this group dictate their lives and bully them into submission.
The only way that terrorism succeeds is if we allow it to affect us and prevent us from following through on our plans or desires. Especially during these times of uncertainty and division, we must not let the acts of some divide us as a whole.
We should all take a chapter from the people of New York’s book and rise above the violence. If we can demonstrate to the world that we are above fear tactics and will not tolerate threats made against the people of our nation, then we take away the opposition’s power.
No matter what side of the aisle we may see ourselves on, when it comes to outside threats and the senseless attacks on innocent men, women and children, we can all unite in the face of this evil.
Thank you, New York, for showing the rest of us that there is strength in union.