| “The September 11, 2001, attacks hit the United States with an awesome force. Americans discovered the power of a small group of determined terrorists to strike a terrible blow, but we also discovered the tremendous heroism of our first responders and the courage of our fellow citizens. If our country learned the costs of such an attack, we learned as well the critical importance of becoming better prepared to prevent others like it in the future. For many Americans, homeland security, which once seemed largely a fiction of the silver screen, now became a necessary—if unwelcome—focus. Public officials across the country soon found this challenge at the very center of their work.” 1 |
