TEMPLE EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO ADDRESSSIX-MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPT. 11 ATTACKS
The following experts from Temple University are available to discuss a host of issues related to the six-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon:
The PresidencyJim HiltyProfessor of historyOffice: 215-204-5581Home: 610-277-6847E-mail: [email protected]
"September 11 transformed the Bush presidency, immediately elevating its historic significance. It remains to be seen, however, whether President Bush will himself gain historical eminence the equal of other war presidents (FDR, Wilson, Lincoln). As the country's sense of urgency abates, President Bush's arrogation of war-making powers, combined with his administration's persistent resort to executive privilege and extraordinary reliance on secrecy, may provoke lasting historical controversy. Other factors likely influencing ultimate historical assessments of this presidency are its determination to pursue unilateralism, assert worldwide police powers, and annunciate lists of enemy states. In the final analysis, however, the American people will decide in 2004 if George Bush has satisfactorily fulfilled our expectations."
Press coverage vs. direct experienceAndy Mendelson Professor of journalismOffice: 215-204-5020Home: 215-769-0703E-mail: [email protected]
"I remember thinking how the removal of debris seemed painfully slow through the lens of television. Then, I visited the site. I was struck by a couple of visual observations, the first being an amazing sense of scale. Even from four blocks away, I was amazed at the enormity of the destruction. I was astonished by how large the remains of the buildings were, several months after the attack. That difference between mediated and direct experience may explain the need for masses of people visiting to see the site for themselves.
"The second visual observation that struck me at the site was the rituals of tourist photography. Several times I saw people pose, smiling for a relative's camera, with piles of debris looming behind them. The desire for proof that 'I was there' is strong. What might be viewed as an insensitive act or an inappropriate time to be snapping group photos could also be people operating on automatic pilot, not really knowing how else to visit a 'tourist' site or attraction."
American psyche/HeroismFrank FarleyProfessor of educational psychologyOffice: 215-204-6024Home: 215-881-7776Cell: 215-668-7581E-mail: [email protected]
"Everyday folks wouldn't treat the six-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks as a major point of reflection if it wasn't given attention in the media," says Farley, former president of the American Psychological Association. "Americans really are getting back to their lives."
But Americans' concept of heroism has changed dramatically since Sept. 11, notes Farley, who has studied heroes for decades. "The concept of heroism was one of the central emotions to emerge from the tragedies," says Farley. "Before 9/11, the last survey of heroes still listed John Wayne and other movie stars. We've shed some of that. Our conception of heroism has been clarified--for the better and for the everyday person. In terms of individual heroism and respect for heroes, there's now an imprint in our minds that will last for years."
Foreign Policy/Force and DiplomacyRichard ImmermanDirector of the Center for the Study of Force and DiplomacyOffice: 215-204-7466Home: 610-645-5436E-mail: [email protected]
"It is premature to argue, one way or the other, that the U.S. has entered a new era in U.S. foreign policy," says Immerman. "It may well have done so. But six months is much too short a time to tell." Questions also remain as to what will characterize this new era, he says. "Will it be one of increased U.S. unilateralism and, hence, intensifying acrimony within NATO and other collective security organizations? Will it be an era of increased aggression by non-state actors? Will terrorist activities replace wars, even limited wars, as the chief form of conflict? Will this require the evolution of a different set of international norms and even international laws? And will 'great powers' increasingly rely on air power in order to inflict punishment while risking the minimum number of casualties, even if the result is an increase in civilian casualties? All of this represents only a small percentage of the questions--and, hence, challenges--that lie ahead."
Trauma and stress managementDenise WaltonTemple University Psychological ServicesOffice: 215-204-7276E-mail: [email protected]
"Our grieving will be not only for the people who died and the loss to their family, friends and co-workers, but also for our own lost sense of security and lost sense of control over events in our lives. At the six-month anniversary, we may feel some of the feelings we felt on that day and have intrusive thoughts about the event and our reactions. Some of us may still be feeling numb and it may be hard to accept fully that this has happened."
Walton, who is trained in providing therapy to trauma survivors, knows we cannot go back to thinking and feeling exactly as we did before. "What we do have control over," says Walton, "is our approach and our attitude of how we are going to deal with this both in the world and in our own personal lives. Healing is a process that happens over time. Healing can take place in our communities, in our religious environments, and we can choose personal rituals that are meaningful to us and our families."
nmr-700***March 5, 2002
RSS