Complacency – How Soon We Forget…
It is just short of nine years since September 11th 2001 and complacency has set in. The general public of America says they want to put it all behind them, move forward and get on with their lives. If only we could achieve that, but we can’t. We never will and we must not for one-minute turn our backs on the ever-open Pandora’s box of treachery that exists in the world and on these American shores, in our backyards and firmly placed on your doorstep. Terrorism is here to stay and will only be beaten with vigilance and pure street level determination within our corporations, employees and our families.
“After the World Trade Center, we’ve learned that there is no limit to the unthinkable and that the thinkable is what we actually have to protect ourselves from.”
Ian I. Mitroff, Dir. University of Southern California Center for Crisis Management.
Don’t be fooled by the water cooler comments, which are aired very openly each and every morning. Our nation has to realize that normalcy will be the success of the nation and the world’s fight against terror. It is a fact the “Normal” or what is now “Normal” has changed and must be explained so that the general public and the leaders of our nation are all reading from the same page.
Yes, we can go about our daily lives. The method has not changed; it is our ability to be cognizant of all that is around us that has got to improve. When you support a sports team with all your heart, especially professional and our children’s teams, we don’t give up on them when they don’t perform as we expect. Support is needed for all, the support of protecting your neighbor, the person next to you in the mall or eating at a restaurant. We have to be more aware of what is going on around us. It is not a dumb thing to report something that is suspicious; it is prudent and sensible to make the authorities aware of all strange incidents. Our overall safety has to now be our first concern.
It is a total mind set change; it is our duty to work as a cohesive team, although as individuals we can all do our part. Corporations and individuals must maintain a “Duty of Care” attitude. What’s that I hear you ask? It is making sure that your knowledge of a weakness within our corporations, workplace or home is recognized and strengthened. If not, and something goes wrong or the vulnerability is penetrated, then you are guilty of “Vicarious Liability”. Powerful words and if found guilty of such charges, expensive and a moral question that will haunt you for the rest of your life.
Ask CNA Insurance in Chicago! Failure to fix a broken pane of glass on the 29th floor for four solid months resulted in a1999 death of a mother of two children, a monetary fine, repair costs and final settlement of over $27 million in 2002. Even in normal times the unthinkable happens and the sad results speak for themselves. It is our duty to be aware of our susceptibility in daily life. It is no good thinking someone else has taken care of the problem. It is down to us!
We can’t have peace of mind today unless we participate and work at the problem. We can’t have our retirement nest egg in hand on day two of starting to save. I know America is the “want it now society”, but it can’t be done immediately. It takes time, dedication and persistence. It is a new way of life that our children will see as normal in a decade or two. It is not going away overnight!
Complacency is a dirty word; we know this from the apathetic voting trend of this nation. We must not let complacency set in and derail the good that has so far come from the sustained efforts of the American nation. Lifestyle change is now more important than ever. Just like all of us that have tried to diet and lose weight, we know it is the magic of sustaining the diet for more than thirty days and effectively making a lifestyle change. This is where we then succeed; it has become part of us or in the case of a diet, less of us.
Security for all eventualities must be researched, enacted and practiced on a regular basis. Isolating a potential problem and discussing it is not good enough. We must use all expertise available to us; this is not a time for egos to get in the way. This is a nation that has never experienced anything like it in its history.
Help and successful planning is at hand. SSAF International Ltd. have been protecting people for over thirty nine years and have amassed knowledge second to none. Europe is a far safer place today because of the dedicated company team of SSAF International Ltd.
Remember, this is not a perfect world, but some subscribe to the perfect world hypothesis, which states:
Good things happen to Good people. Bad things happen to Bad people.
The imperfect world hypothesis states:
Anything can happen to anyone at any time.
Remember, it is up to us, it is our world… Protect it and all that live within.