It Could Happen Anywhere

I awoke as usual at 5:30 am and turned on the morning news. KNBC-TV, Channel 4, out of Burbank. Anchorman Kent Shockneck calmly announced that a plane of some kind had just flown into the North Tower. Which was strange, since Lower Manhattan wasn't in the normal flight path for any of the three major airports in the greater NYC area. Surely the guy was waaaay off-course. But no one was screaming terrorism, just yet.

I took notice, shrugged, and headed out to the office. Surely the New York police and firefighters will take care of it. Nothing much for me to worry about, on the opposite coast. Or so I thought. That is, until I settled into my desk, logged on to my computer, and the whole office was abuzz. I don't think anyone got much work done that day, or the next. The boss wasn't in the mood to crack that whip, under the circumstances.
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Fast-forward exactly twelve years: In the small community where I live, today would have been the perfect day to rob a bank. Or ignite a forest fire. Or stage a coup to take over the city. I say this because, for two hours this morning, almost every police car and fire truck and public official was assembled in the same place: We met to observe the “Remembrance Ceremony for the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the United States.”
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As a small city in the northern reaches of Los Angeles County, near the Kern County line, we’re probably far down on the list of potential targets for any terrorist syndicate. But then again, even the great author Tom Clancy has testified that even he never could have imagined a plot with four hijacked planes crashing into tall buildings. No publisher anywhere would have accepted such a far-fetched premise.
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Present at this ceremony were representatives of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Forestry, and U.S. Forest Service. And I found out something I didn’t know: ALL of these agencies have had at least one of their members killed in the line of duty in recent years.
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Imagine that.
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Seeing as I venture often into Downtown Los Angeles, I suppose it’s possible that I could someday witness a gruesome act of terrorism. Perhaps even likely. But one way or another, I can rejoice – and thank God – that I am blessed to live in a free and prosperous country where thousands of people risk their lives daily to protect mine. I now understand why my mother celebrated when my dad flunked the admission test for the LAPD Academy.
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Postscript: Not too many years ago, I lived across town in Beverly Hills. For one hour each morning, every member of the Beverly Hills Police Department is occupied having breakfast at a deli on Beverly Drive. If you ask me real nice, I can tell you when to make your move.