BORELLI CONSULTING: Recommended Reading

Simple Vigilance To Prevent Terrorism
25 September 2006

"Eternal Vigilance is the price of Liberty." - Wendell Phillips

"Eternal" is an awfully long time. It was once desribed to me this way (and I wish I could remember who to credit with this): Imagine the planet Earth as a huge titanium sphere. Titanium is a very strong form of steel but is very light. Now imagine that once every millennium... once every thousand years... a goose down feather comes floating through space and brushes against that huge titanium Earth sphere. "Eternity" is how long it would take for the huge titanium Earth sphere to wear away into nothing. Now, given that concept of eternity, it's an awfully long time. But how about something more within reasonable standards? An idea we can more easily handle? How about two years? How about five years? Those aren't such super long time frames.

Just over five years ago the United States suffered one of, if not THE, worst terrorist attack ever perpetrated against our citizenry.

Just over two years ago more than 1,200 students, teachers, staff and family members were taken hostage in Beslan, Russia and held for three days. At the conclusion of the siege, 338 people were dead - almost 200 of them children... some still in diapers.

The question I pose is this: Has your own personal level of vigilance increased or decreased since the attacks of nine-eleven?

Do you have children? Has your own personal level of vigilance as it applies to your children increased or decreased since the school siege at Beslan?

The good news is that we Americans tend to be "busy bodies". I can tell you pretty much what the daily schedules are of all my neighbors and if anyone suspicious has been coming or going from any of the homes within a block or so of mine. Most of my neighbors can do exactly the same. We don't consider it being nosy... we consider it looking out for the neighborhood. Except in a remote location, if a group of terrorists - whether they looked like what we might stereotype as terrorists or not - started coming and going from a particular house, chances are that someone would notice... and make a phone call.

The point of this article is that if we continue to maintain a "normal" level of vigilance and ACT on anything suspicious we see, then we stand a better chance of catching / defeating the terorrists before they can commit another attack or attempt a siege type attack.

Our problem is that we so often take our surroundings for granted. What's there everyday is what we ignore. That MIGHT not be so bad. But what about the things that aren't there everyday but don't necessarily appear out of the ordinary? Let me give you an example or two...

There are some places where you'd expect to see a tanker trunk sitting: gas stations, oil companies, etc. But what if you see a disconnected tanker sitting on the side of the road near a shopping mall?

Tractor trailer trucks parked overnight near or in rest stops isn't an uncommon occurrence. What about the tractor trailer parked on the shoulder of the road along the fence line that borders a military installation?

Seeing an office supply delivery truck or a package delivery vehicle outside of a business building isn't uncommon. But what about a rental truck? If you saw a U-Haul or Ryder Rental Truck parked outside of an office building would you think anything of it?

Yes, I'd be the first to admit that if we're not careful a level of paranoia can exist. That said, if we're not equally careful we can begin to ignore what is around us to an unacceptable level of apathy.

When I was about fourteen I was out to dinner with my dad. (I should note that I was the ultimate smart ass) During the course of dinner, a very attractive woman came over to the table. It turned out that she had gone to high school with my dad and recognized him from across the room. They talked for several minutes before she went back to her table. When she was no longer within easy view, I asked my dad what she was wearing. He couldn't tell me. Not even if it was pants or a skirt. He wanted to know why I asked. I told him that I'd recently read where most people just aren't aware of their surroundings and often overlook things that could matter. When he asked me if I knew what she was wearing I quickly replied, "A Green skirt suit"... and then I added, "That was too snug in the rear." He laughed but the point was made.

Every parent, to some extent, pays attention to their surroundings to insure the safety of their children. We teach our children to pay attention to their surroundings - such as looking both ways before crossing a street. That simple level of vigilance can greatly add to our national security if we take it to the next step and extend it in our mind to encompass more than just our children: let it encompass everything within your scope of awareness. If you drive your children to school pay attention to what types of vehicles are parked in front - or in the parking lot. When you go to the grocery store, pay attention as you make the drive and call in any suspicious vehicles you see. As you go about your day to day life, just pay attention. If something looks out of place, make that call. If you know your local law enforcement agency's non-emergency number, then call that. If not, call 911 and report what you see in a clear and concise manner and why you think it's suspicious.

Some may laugh at me but I've called in those disconnected tankers - because one was sitting near a liquid natural gas storage facility and I'd never seen one left there before. I've called in Ryder rental trucks that have been left overnight in front of an office building. In both cases it turned out to be nothing. But you know what? NO ONE at the police agencies involved complained. "Better safe than sorry" is a statement that applies.

Eternal vigilance may be the price of liberty, but day to day vigilance is the price of security.

One statement, made by John Giduck, that I keep repeating is: "Terrorists may not be afraid of America but they ARE afraid of Americans."

Every one of us can make a difference. It only takes one person paying attention... one phone call at the right time... one visit from Mr. Murphy (of Murphy's law) to the terrorists to prevent another attack. Wouldn't it just suck if you could have paid attention and made that call but didn't?

BE SAFE!

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