OPINION Attack on America By: Sarah King, SNN Senior Editor, Ascension Collegiate, Bay Roberts, NF "We are all victims of war, whether or not we are actively involved in it". This statement proves especially true now, in the aftermath of the brutal terrorist attack on the United States of America. It is not difficult to find connections between the "Attack on America" and the situation during World War II. The major similarity between two of these pieces is the relationship between the bombing of Hiroshima by the United States and the demise of the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City. We can also see the relationship between what must have been the feelings of teenagers living in the 1940’s and the sentiments of today’s teenagers. They are virtually the same. We can also see the strategies of the terrorists who planned and executed the “Attack on America” and how they are very similar to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941... 60 years ago. The prominent similarity between World War II and the "Attack on America" is the events that ensued. World War II ended with the bombing of Hiroshima by the Americans. It also began with an attack on American soil. "Attack on America", while not yet well documented on paper, deals with what is being called an Act of War. The question on many people’s minds, my own included, is whether or not this event will be the beginning of a time of war. Will the United States declare war on the nation that harboured these terrorists? If so, Canada and most other nations in the world will be directly threatened, due to the systems of alliances already in place. The general thoughts are that the Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden is the mastermind behind these latest terrorist attacks. Already, Arabs and those of Middle-Eastern descent are being singled out and alienated. We are doing the same thing to these people now, in the year 2001, as was done to the Japanese following Pearl Harbor. Will we put all Middle-Easterners in camps, in this day and age? Will we force alienation on these people because of a select few? Have our countries learned nothing from World War II? Even Newfoundland, the second least populated province in the country, has accepted an influx of people off flights that were diverted here on their way to or from the United States. We have housed them in concert stadiums, convention centres, hotels, even school gymnasiums. We have opened our homes and our hearts to those in a time of need, and for that we must commend ourselves and also our country! We see the similarities between this recent attack on the eastern United States and the bombardment of Pearl Harbor, which took place 60 years ago. Both are now considered Acts of War. The Japanese meticulously planned and executed the bombardment of the US Navy’s fleet at Pearl Harbor. Obviously, someone has meticulously planned and executed the hi-jacking and ensuing kamikaze flights of 4 domestic aircraft. The "Attack on America" is being called a second Pearl Harbor. We are now living in alliance with the wounded and dejected United States. If anything were to happen, Canada would once again be thrust into the midst of warfare. There are those preparing for war even as we speak. The similarities between the current situation and the situation in 1941 are remarkable. We too are living in a world that could at any moment, pull the carpet out from under our feet and thrust us around a corner blindfolded, even more uncertain of our future than we are now. All we can do is wait and pray.