America can proudly proclaim to be the superpower of the world, today. A status well earned with years of toil, hard work
and the ‘better forgotten wars’. People throng its shores from far and wide, in search of what the earth has declared to be the symbol of power – The Mighty Dollar. With a whopping GDP of U.S. $ 40,100, this country has helped
millions accomplish their dreams. Millions have changed addresses and some their very citizenship. One of the ruling reasons for this phenomenon is the plethora of opportunities that America provides to any human who has the will to achieve and the nerve to struggle. Today, man-made or natural calamities like the 9/11 mishap or the very recent Katrina, which wiped out countless lives, have not stopped people from feeling secure within the boundaries of this country. So what is it that makes America the most sought after place on the face of the earth? Is it the
government that promises its people, their rights? Is it the love for the motherland? Is it the feeling of safety even though, peace seems to be a guest here. And how can we forget the racial discrimination, some ruthless killings that occur every other day. But we prefer to act deaf. Is it because the mother who lost her son in the Iraq war or the wife who cremated a dead husband, a victim of the 9/11 massacre, do not need to feel scared anymore now. Why? Because their loved ones are not going to return anyways. Because the people who were unaffected, believe or rather pray that history would never repeat. But do these reasons really hold ground. How long will it be before we again face terrorism? The people who went out on September 11 to their usual work never returned. Every Asian, or more accurately, a Muslim is seen as a terrorist. The world has undergone such a change that you do not require a Third World War to wipe off humanity. A few bomb blasts on the subways, a few firings or a handful of murders everyday will anyways make this job easier. The government is doing its job. They are still on the lookout for people who ‘seem’ like terrorists. But isn’t it scary? What if he is not? Like the recent young gentleman who was fired, because the police only ‘thought’ him to be the mastermind behind the London blasts. The summary of the story is that either ways, it is the civilians who have to bear the brunt of the terrorists’ anger. Osama Bin Laden, does not even know the millions of people who he murdered. He does not even hold any personal grudge against them all. Neither have they done anything to offend him. Their only grave mistake was to be an American, who went to the World Trade Center on that fateful day - a thing that they may have been doing for years. What America needs now, is an assurance that terrorism will never return and that they can breathe in peace. An ideal American dream would be to ‘Live in a safe country’. We are on our way to achieve this dream and make it a reality. Today Saddam is in America’s clutches. The dictator was heaved down with enthusiasm and joy. Today he is undergoing trial at the American courts and this fact puts thousands to peaceful sleep. In spite of receiving no co-operation from the Government of Afghanistan, Americans made it to the country and searched for the villain. Unfortunately the mission was unsuccessful and America had to return empty handed..But it was a demonstration and a warning to the opposing party, of what America is capable of. But safety does not only indicate ‘safety on a global arena’. Safety does not only mean to be protected from the bigger whales of the sea. Small violent acts that line every lane of America have also claimed countless lives. Youngsters are an easy prey to drug peddlers and before they realize it, they are enmeshed into a lethal web of atrocities. But the ray of hope is that, the crime graph is meekly descending downwards. A new study revealed that America saw a historic drop in crime between 1999 and 2000. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) claims that ‘violent crime fell 15 percent in 2000 while property crime fell ten percent.’ The period when America saw the steepest fall in the crime graph was in the year 1992 and 2000.
Today after the conscious efforts of the citizens of the country and the government, America can be proud of its achievements. These initiatives of the Government and the strength of the Americans to shoulder their responsibilities as a citizen, makes living in America a nice experience.