How To Stop The Next 9/11

"...for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
—Galatians 6:7

In December of 2002 US Sen. Patty Murray hit the nail on the head when she addressed students of Vancouver's Columbia River High School. It was the first time I had even heard of anyone bringing up what I believe is the real reason why America was attacked.

In a nutshell, while her opponent obfuscated the message, putting his political career above our country's security, she got to the core of the issue of why terrorism exists by addressing the broad economic disparity experienced between people in the West and those in the Middle East.

While too many Americans' biggest concern is getting to the the mall on time with a heretofore unparalleled level of indifference for their fellow human being, many who live in terrorist heartlands not only survive in squalor that wouldn't be considered suitable for the poorest of Westerners, but also have no reason to hope for a better financial outlook in the future.

If you live in conspicuous opulence while your next door neighbor eats out of a dumpster and lives in a cardboard box, and it seems to them you couldn't care less about their plight, expect intruders! And don't expect me to feel sorry for you when they come through the window.

It is not 'therapy for terrorists' to take an interest in why people who are not terrorists become terrorists, and wanting your country to take steps to keep that from happening. It is a no brainer that the greater the financial desperation someone is experiencing—the more someone feels they have already lost all they can possibly lose—the more they are willing put themselves in harm's way for the possibility of a change of circumstances, even if they will be sacrificing themselves for it to leave their survivors in a better situation.

In order for the tide of terrorism to turn, it will take more than just condescending, dependence-fostering foreign aid packages. All people of the world deserve the dignity that comes with being empowered with the tools to create their own prosperity. As with everything, it is up to the citizens of developed countries to require their governments to be good neighbors in the global neighborhood. Only then will religious extremists be unable to find their next recruits to do their dirty work.