As students struggle to come to terms with yesterday's tragedies, some professors say it is too early to understand how these events will impact the United States.
The most pressing question is who attacked and why. In an interview with AM 680, political science professor Richard Eichenberg said the tragedy arose from unresolved political issues in the Middle East. "I suppose Israel is helped in the sense that there may be those who assume that whoever it was was on the other side," Eichenberg said.
Eichenberg, who teaches Introduction to International Relations, said the attack showed a deficiency in US intelligence. He said his most pressing concern, however, is that the US might launch an overly aggressive military response. "I actually worry a little that we might overreact," he said.
The professors who spoke to the Daily said the ramifications for the country are unclear. "It's hard to tell how the nation will be affected at the moment, until we know who claims responsibility and how severe the casualties are," said sociology professor Rosemary Taylor.
Yesterday's events could shock Americans into the realization that the world is not as safe as they once thought, according to Robert Devigne, a political science professor. "It's certainly a reminder to all of us that there's conflict in the world," Devigne said. "America cannot insulate itself from that conflict."
"The fundamental issues of violence and justice and liberty are not going to go away," he added. "I don't think it's going to have a great impact on our quality of life," he said. "It will, however, have an impact on foreign policy and American security concerns. The typical response is going to be a military response."
In searching for examples of similar events in US history, the national media frequently evoked images of Pearl Harbor. Tufts faculty members, however, said the analogy was somewhat misguided because the origin of the attack in Hawaii was much different than those responsible for yesterday's attacks.
"In terms of a dramatic attack, that's where the Pearl Harbor analogy is right," Devigne said. "But in terms of the response, it's just too unclear in the source."
Professors instead compared the attack to the Vietnam War, noting the similarities to how the public viewed the war on television. "I think Vietnam had a much more traumatizing effect on the American consciousness," said Taylor, the sociology professor. She added that the image of the plane crashing into the World Trade Center's South Tower could have a similar effect on the public.
Recalling other domestic terrorist attacks such as the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, some professors said Americans should be careful before making assumptions regarding accountability.
They urged the media and President George W. Bush not to jump to conclusions, such as the original erroneous assumption that connected the Arabic group responsible for the World Trade Center bombing to the Oklahoma City bombing.
"The media is making the same assumptions again with seemingly no evidentiary basis and no self-awareness about how wrong they were before," said political science professor Gary McKissick.
McKissick said the Bush administration should be cautious with plans for revenge and should instead focus on uniting the country. "In an environment of uncertainty, it's really easy to fuel passions that can't be contained," McKissick said.
"I think in light of all the completely innocent lives lost and the risks taken by hundreds of rescue workers and firefighters," he said, "the president owes it to the country to be more visible and more active."
