Editorial: America gets back on track

Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2001 | 8:34 a.m.

It is refreshing once again to see airplanes fill the sky, Major League Baseball teams battle to win pennant races and traders doing business on the New York Stock Exchange. While the nation still mourns last week's tragedies, we are confident this new week will bring with it renewed vigor on the part of all Americans as we get back to our regular lives, though with a toughness and resolve that was not so necessary until a week ago.

Returning to a normal life is the best medicine for these trying times. While the United States military prepares to take the necessary actions to eliminate the terrorist enemy, we must continue to keep America strong by maintaining a high level of productivity at work. We must also vow to strengthen family ties and show courtesy to neighbors and strangers alike, regardless of race, color or creed.

Something we all must learn to accept is heightened airport security, which frankly is long overdue. While we cherish our civil liberties, it is foolhardy to place freedoms associated with air travel above national and personal security. The ease with which knife-wielding individuals can board and hijack planes in this country reveals catastrophic flaws in the way we protect passengers. It also renders us helpless against those who possess kamikaze intentions.

The federal government can help ailing airlines by adopting measures that will boost consumer confidence on safety issues. All carry-on bags ought to be checked by trained professionals. If this cannot be done, we should consider banning passengers from carrying any items aboard a plane, save for medication. Sealing pilot cockpits from public access is another idea that merits serious consideration. Long lines at airport ticket counters and security checkpoints are small prices to pay when one considers the alternatives that were experienced in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Another thing Americans must do is to support our economy through purchases and investments. The stock exchange took a big hit Monday when the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 684 points, but consumers can help the market recover by wagering on our economy. We have endured numerous calamities as a nation and have always found ways to rebound. There is no reason why this latest episode should be any different.

One of the best ways to defeat terrorists is to prove to them that they cannot alter our way of life. That is why it is so important to resume our normal routines as soon as possible. Take a loved one to a restaurant. Go see a movie or work out at a gym. Take advantage of sales at local retail stores. Do whatever it takes to support the local economy.

We must see to it that the heroic rescue efforts displayed in New York have not been in vain. The victims assuredly would have wanted us to get on with our lives. Let us work together toward this goal with a full head of steam the way our forefathers did when they founded this great nation.