Staff Editorial: No reason to live in fear

As Americans watched yet another tragedy unfold in New York City yesterday, responses spanned the typical range of emotions: shock, anger and grief.

But this time, there was also a new, chillingly distant sentiment, unthinkable only a few months ago:

"It could have been much worse."

Before the events of Sept. 11, the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 into the quiet Queens neighborhood of Rockaway, taking more than 250 lives, would have likely dominated the headlines for weeks to come.

But with more than 4,000 missing and presumed dead in the ruins of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, one of the worst air disasters in recent history now seems like just another ghastly tragedy about which we will be thinking -- and grieving -- for some time to come.

Even so, the crash, which at this point appears to have been an accident, could not have come at a worse time for New York, the airline industry and our nation as a whole. Just as air travel had begun returning to normal levels, passengers have had their confidence in flying shaken yet again.

And even worse, a city and a nation that have witnessed far too much tragedy this fall now have to cope with another disaster.

With the holiday season approaching, many Penn students will have to board flights headed home. It's a prospect that may be frightening, especially when alternatives like a train, a car or even not going home at all seem far safer.

But refusing to fly and to travel in general is not a healthy course of action -- not for ourselves and not for our nation.

The wounds of Sept. 11 will take a long time to heal, and yesterday's air disaster does nothing but delay that process. But as students and as a nation we must continue trying to return to normality. Living in fear and avoiding the processes of everyday life not only gives victory to those who wish to harm us, but also slows our recovery.

Americans can never -- and will never -- forget the events of Sept. 11. Nor should we ever forget the victims of American Airlines Flight 587. However, letting the tragedies of the past two months irrevocably alter the way in which we live our lives is not an option.

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