In his October 26, 2002 article, Roy Kaplan, executive director of the National Conference for Community and Justice recalls a childhood memory. .
"When I was a teenager living in New Jersey, I would look forward to making the trip to New York City. To me, that was the center of the universe. . . I saw a lot of unconventional, different-looking people, but as New York was a diverse place forty years ago, it was precursor of what our society would become. I also remember a huge sign that loomed over Times Square: "Be Suspicious." I think it might have been something about having discerning taste, but to me it was apocalyptic, because New York, with all its conviviality, could be a very cold place- a melting pot that never quite melted. That sign summed up what the Big Apple represented to me- a bustling metropolis teeming with people of all ethnicities, each wary of the other and everyone for himself. I managed to overcome my trepidation about encountering people who looked and acted differently from me, but it was a slow and conscientious process.".
Recent national events reinforce what we are told from our earliest years. Sadly, the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the Washington sniper and the ongoing kidnappings support our parents" advice not to trust people, not to talk to strangers, or visit certain neighborhoods. Kaplan explains, "The barrage of color-coded warnings from the Office of Homeland Security and the attorney general heighten our fears and distrust of one another, especially ethnic minorities." We are reminded to be on the look out for suspicious looking people. Kaplan adds, "It is as if a "Be Suspicious" sign has been implanted in our brain, dulling our sensibilities and draining our empathy for others." .
Unfortunately, Roy Kaplan is right and this is exactly the response our nation's enemies hoped for. Without dropping a bomb they have made a huge impact on American society.