With the first anniversary of Sept. 11 approaching, the Northern Indiana Center for History presented a panel discussion, "September 11: How Have We Changed?" Sunday afternoon to reflect on the aftermath and consequences of the terrorist attacks.

Tim Harmon, managing editor of the South Bend Tribune, moderated the discussion and panelists included Scott Appleby, director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; Father Theodore Hesburgh, president emeritus of Notre Dame; Lester Lamon, history professor at Indiana University South Bend and Wes Taylor, president and chief executive of Family and Children's Center.

Hesburgh said the United States is a country with open and friendly people and many were shocked that "not everyone loved us and that some would like to destroy us."

Americans were left with a sincere and fundamental disquiet because they thought they were so well-liked, he added.

"It's a curious thing to come from the world of peace and calmness and serenity … and then suddenly to wake up … [to] a small lunatic fringe who carried out a willingness to destroy us and a willingness to shake their fist in our face and then dare to say this is just a beginning," Hesburgh said.

Xenophobia, the abuse of government powers, thoughtful reflection, concerned voices, patriotism and mistrust were present in the culture prior to Sept. 11, Appleby said, but these elements became deeper in the aftermath of the attacks. Mourning the victims, celebrating the heroism and rallying around the flag gave the United States a greater conciousness.

With this renewed compassion, Americans must also recognize that it was a small faction of Islam, not representative of the whole of Islam, that carried out these attacks, he stressed.

Dismantling our vulnerability

Lamon said he did not see much change fundamental change in the attitude of Americans. While its true Americans fly the flag more, wait in longer lines for security and tune into the evening news more frequently, the military has not increased in size, church attendance has returned to normal levels and blood donations have dropped after an initial increase.

"The initial national response is still our primary response – based on fear and anger … we are still on a defensive mode," said Lamon.

Lamon said Americans must decide how they want to be remembered for their responses to Sept. 11. Americans can either choose now to seek and destroy terrorists or they can seek out the root of terrorism.

"Before Sept. 11 we thought that no one could touch us," Taylor said. "The issue of vulnerability is something our country has painfully learned again."

Although security mechanisms, such as enhanced airport check-in procedures, were put in place, it probably was not the mechanisms or procedures that failed us but ourselves. "We have lulled ourselves into complacency," Taylor said. "It is events of such consequence and horror that unfortunately are needed to produce the glue to bring us together."

Taylor said Americans must follow the example of countries such as Israel with its heightened alerts and drills. "If we do not want to have another Sept. 11, we have to do something different and learn from others who have been successful," Lamon said.

The Iraq situation

"I am very hesitant. I feel as though I fell asleep on Sept. 10 and am still dreaming," said Appleby, who opposed attacking Iraq. "I find the attack on Iraq to be surreal.

"There are other ways, economically and diplomatically, rather than a massive attack on Iraq, [which] would risk American lives, Iraqi lives and have serious repercussions."

Taylor said reuniting the actors who worked together in the Desert Storm invasion is necessary.

"Until more than one actor expresses dissatisfaction, it will be difficult for us to bring this to the table where we can come to a diplomatic conclusion," Taylor said.

Although Taylor said other actors agree that Saddam Hussein must be ousted, the route that the United States is currently taking is an unpleasant one.

"We certainly are leaving the impression that we are willing to be a unilateral bully and it certainly generates fear for me and the members of the coalition that we are trying to forge," Lamon said.

The nation's current stance towards Iraq is "psychological warfare more than anything else" echoed Hesburgh.

To destroy an entire country in order to get rid of Hussein would not only be wrong, Hesburgh said, but would fail to eradicate the problem because there are still officials behind him willing to take up the cause.

What now?

The panelists gave different routes towards moving forward since Sept. 11.

"The world today is simply not just," Hesburgh said.

If Americans are to promote peace and just causes in the world, Hesburgh believes they must first work to create a just society of their own. He recognized how 80 percent of Notre Dame students work towards this goal through tutoring and service projects.

With the November elections approaching, Lamon called on citizens to voice their opinions and hold their representatives accountable to substantive issues.

A larger issues that must be explored is how the government will uphold its democracy while detaining suspects and endorsing secret trial courts.

Lamon said that it is difficult to protect freedom and keep our principles at the same time.

"Those that fought in the war to protect the flag did so to protect those who burn that same flag," Appleby said. "Whenever we suspend the principle, we lose the battle."

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