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Friday, September 14, 2001
ThePiidr
Professors discuss similarity to Peari Harbor
Erin Boyd
Pilot staff
A Reuters reporter called it
“another date that will live in
infamy.” Tuesday’s attacks on
New York City and Washington,
D.C. have many comparing the
American tragedy to the infa
mous Japanese bombing on Pearl
Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Gardner-Webb students are
among those likening the Sept.
11 events to those experienced
by their grandparents in World
War II almost sixty years ago.
“I don’t think I can compare
the two because I never lived
through Pearl Harbor,” said
Junior Emily Crocker. “But, this
is an event that will mark our
generation for the rest of history
just like Pearl Harbor marked
our grandparent’s generation.
This will be our generation's
Pearl Harbor.”
Gil Blackburn, vice presi
dent, dean of academic affairs
and historian, confirms that
Tuesday’s attacks have remind
ed people of Pearl Harbor.
“Even though Pearl Harbor
was bombed over half a century
ago, the attack Tuesday will
dredge up old feelings,” he said.
Blackburn compared
Tuesday’s suicide hijackings to
other events that occurred dur
ing World War II.
“The attacks Tuesday were
of the same nature of the
Kamikaze attacks by the
Japanese at the end of World
War II,” he said.
Though Blackburn did cite
these similaries between the
nature of Tuesday’s blow and
World War II attacks, he was
quick to point out that the
bombing on Pearl Harbor and
the Sept. 11 tragedy contain
many differences.
“We knew who the guilty
parties were in World War II,”
said Blackburn. “The attack was
from a different nation in a for
mal war,” he said.
Tony Eastman, professor of
social sciences, also noted that
though the historical signifi
cance of both events is the same,
the core of these two American
adversities are very different.
“From all indications at this
Henderson stresses
need to be aware
Monica Houser
Pilot staff
Terrorism. It is on every
one’s mind, considering the
events of Tuesday. But, what
does it mean, and how can ter
rorism affect Gardner-Webb stu
dents and the nation? Though
these questions may continue to
haunt America, the answers are
becoming clearer as time passes.
According to social science
professor Anne Henderson, ter
rorists of some sort have
attacked the United States eveiy
few years since 1945.
Henderson said that terror
ism cannot be prevented unless
the United States is willing to
step down from its position as the
major world power and as global
enforcer, which, she stated, will
not happen.
Henderson stated that this
brings to light the fact that ter
rorists, in general, will never
achieve their goals because they
“want things that are not going
to happen.”
According to Henderson,
attacks have increased and have
inched closer and closer to home
in the past 20 years. In 1983, a
point, this was done by a group
of people who did resemble the
Kamakaze attacks of World War
II, but this is the only similarity.
This was a personal blow,” said
Eastman.
“Tuesday's event was worse
than Pearl Harbor,” Eastman
continued. “It was an historical
event of the magnitude of Pearl
Harbor, but it was much worse
because of the barbaric instinct
against it. The Japanese had a
plan-they had a military objec
tive. Those responsible for
Tuesday’s attack had no plan
except to kill American citi
zens,” he said.
Blackburn and Eastman
both agree that the reactions of
the American people to
Tuesday's attacks are strikenly
similar to the responses people
had to the Pearl Harbor attack
over fifty years ago.
“There is a melting of heart
and spirit that is very, very sim
ilar to Pearl Harbor,” said
Eastman.
“People reacted in the same
shock to Pearl Harbor as was
shown af^er Tuesday’s attack,”
Blackburn said.
Blackbum and Eastman stat
ed that looking at historical events
can give some indication as to
what the American people may
experience in the coming weeks.
“After Pearl Harbor, every
thing added up to a fit of national
hysteria,” said Blackbum. “The
country suddenly galvanized in
support behind the government
to prosecute Japan and destroy
them,” he said.
“You can expect war after
this,” said Eastman.
“I think the people who did
this have misjudged us,”
Eastman continued. “I don’t
think they know American his
tory or the American character.
They don’t realize that we will
bind up our wounds and we will
bury our dead-but then we will
exact a revenge-a cost for what
they’ve done to us. Our history
is one in which we are slow to
go to war, but once in war, we
fight it with the fijll rage of our
people and I think we have now
seen the full rage of the
American people,” he said.
Blackbum stated that good
things can come from tragedies
such as the one the American peo
ple have recently experienced.
“Good things can happen
from bad things like this. Events
like this may cause students
who have been drifting through
life to reevaluate their whole
perspectives on life and to
understand life is precious and
should be treated with rever
ence,” said Blackbum.
Eastman believes that
Tuesday’s events may serve as a
test to shape the character of the
United States.
“I think this is one of those
events in history that shapes a
country. First, it will test its
character. If it comes up lacking,
it will begin to be shaped into a
stronger character,” he said.
Eastman continued, “The
only difference between genera
tions [of the American people]
is that one was tested by World
War II, one by the Korean War,
one by Vietnam-the generation
of Gardner-Webb students has
not yet been tested, but I have
the full confidence that when it
is, they’ll pass the test.”
terrorist group bombed a U.S.
Marine base in Beimt, killing
240 people.
Then, terrorists hijacked
and exploded a plane over
Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988,
killing 270 people.
In 1998, terrorists attacked
the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania, killing 224 people.
Last year in Yemen, the
U.S.S. Cole was stmck by ter
rorists killing 17 sailors.
However, Henderson
claimed that this most recent
attack is “fundamentally differ
ent” from all previous attacks.
“The sheer size and scope of
the attack, the coordination and
organization of almost-simulta-
neous attacks indicates a large
terrorist organization,” she said.
Henderson said she “draws
some comfort Irom the fact that,
most likely, these terrorists have
exerted their maximum force,
and the attack could’ve been
infinitely worse.”
She also stated, “Americans
need to know the danger of
being citizens of the most pow
erful nation in the world, and it
is important to understand what
is going on in the world.”
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