A Mother and Daughter's view on our Country! The United States of America!
Nov 06 '01
The Bottom Line Even children have something to say about the Attacks, even children can turn to their parents for help. And this was how I was there for her. Helping her cope.
This is how my 15 year old daughter has dealt with the attacks on America. She got an A+. She and I worked hard on this report, she wrote and I typed. We both learned a great deal from the information that we found together. She presented this information via news paper style. I am so proud of her and with her permission as well as my own, you may read the following and she and I both hope it helps in some kind of way.
Mother and Daughter
Bio-Terrorism
What is anthrax? Well, it’s a dangerous bacterium that was 1st found in 1876. It is capable of surviving for decades in the soil, but sunlight will kill it quickly if it becomes airborne. Only animals used to be at a bid risk of contracting Anthrax by ingesting contaminated soil. Also, in some rare cases, people who worked with diseased animals or around product were at risk. Now, since the attack, everyone is at risk. It’s a fact of life, as we now know it.
Anthrax is being sent via mail but we shouldn’t avoid opening it. We have a system here that’s already saving lives. If you come across a powdery substance in a piece of mail, put the piece of mail down, leave the room, wash your hands and call 911. Washing your hands will keep the anthrax spores from floating into your lungs. You can contract the disease by touching spores, but inhaling it is more dangerous because it spreads from your lungs to your other organs. Citron and even penicillin are antibiotics that can help if your are exposed to Anthrax. If you take the antibiotics immediately you will keep from getting sick.
There is an Anthrax Vaccine but it isn’t available to the public. It’s not economically viable and there was never thought to be such a heightening public need for it. Only one lab produces the vaccine and it’s been shut since 1998 because of safety and quality control problems. Vaccines can cause side effects such as allergic reactions, which are risky themselves. So for now, we’ll deal with Anthrax in the mail without the use of vaccines.
Terrorist can get a hold of Anthrax or other deadly germs rather easily. There are veterinary labs in every state that have samples of the Anthrax bacterium for research. Someone could easily steal them. Another serious threat is small pox. It’s kept under lock and key at a lab in Russia and one in the United States, at least as far as we know. Secret stashes are thought to exist elsewhere in the former Soviet Union and even in other countries. The danger comes from the possibility that if they put those supplies to use or sold them to terrorist.
There is a misconception about the amount of people that have been vaccinated against smallpox. We stopped vaccinating people in the early 70’s. In order to remain immune you need a booster every 10 years. The good news is that the Centers for Disease Control keep a limited supply of vaccine in case we need it again.
Food and water are safe. Water treatment plants remove almost all infectious agents so the public doesn’t need to be afraid of drinking water. Food is already pretty safe. We have a lot of protections in action already such as inspections, state regulations, etc. This means that a food-borne terrorists event would be detected, traced and dealt with.
Are there extra precautions people can take at home? Well, for now our homes are safe; the threat of Anthrax exposure has only been in the workplace so far. So take precautions but don’t let this scare alter your life.
Dealing with Anxiety
A great deal of the Nation is suffering as or were from acute anxiety as a result of the attack. Because of all our media outlets, all of the news ends up in our living rooms and we can’t help feeling anxious. The thing that strikes the most terror is that this attack occurred out of the blue.
Some sign of acute anxiety are as follows: You may have detailed memories of the event and you may play it over and over in your head and can’t get to sleep. There is even a possibility of having nightmares. There can be physical response such as an increase heart rate, dry mouth, dilated pupils or intestinal disorders. You can also have shortness of breath, tightness in your chest, difficulty swallowing and even tremors.
You should seek help when these symptoms interfere with your relationships and your ability to function. A person may become so fearful that they cant’ leave their house or enter a high-rise building. Be on alert if you resort to destructive behaviors like increase drinking. If your symptoms aren’t reducing in a few weeks after the attacks you may have reached a stage that requires therapy. If events like the Anthrax scare continue, then high levels of anxiety will be normal.
You can ease these anxieties by talking about them at churches, in social groups and especially with your family. People who are most isolated are the most at risk for developing persistent anxiety disorders. Writing poems or letters is also helpful. If you need to relax, then you should try yoga or mediation. If you’re an active person, you may need to be out running, dancing or climbing rocks. You can also do something constructive such as giving blood.
Watching news can heighten anxiety, but it really depends on the person. If you are a rather sensitive person you may need to limit the amount of TV you watch. But, if you can watch the news responsibly it’s okay, however, it’s highly recommended that you exclude yourself from the news because that will make anxiety 10 times worse.
Your questions…answered
What’s the probability of becoming the victim of a bombing?
There is a very small chance that will happen. Terrorists aren’t targeting the residential areas where most of us live or the places where most of us work. The important places such as important landmarks are what the terrorist target. If they were going to mail out letter bombs to numerous homeowners they’d probably blow themselves up more often than anyone else.
Are bomb difficult to locate?
Bombs can be in any kind of container or package. You should watch out for anything that’s out of the ordinary. For example, a vehicle that’s parked somewhere for a long period of time when it normally wouldn’t be or if you find a package in a building and you don’t know how it got there. If you notice a big briefcase in your workplace that doesn’t belong there, then you should become concerned. Don’t mess with the briefcase or box though, just leave it undisturbed and call the proper authorities.
Are high-rises safe?
The threat of a high-rise being hit is no less or more than to a three story building. There are actually advantages of being in a high-rise. For example, most high-rises have sprinkler systems that have been designed to keep you safe until you can be secured. People should be able to get out in a very short time.
Can most office buildings with stand bombs?
Well it really depends on the size of the bomb, the age of the building and how it was built. The Murrah building did collapse because of the World Trade Center tragedy. It did, however withstand the blast the fist time the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The construction techniques required in a very tall building often make them more resistant to movement.
We hope that this has helped in some kind of way.
God Bless!
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