Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Fascinating Facts And Tantalizing Trivia

A Hartson Dowd Column

Oct 7, 2006

Homeland security

Homeland security refers to governmental actions designed to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism, and also respond to natural disasters. The term became prominent in the United States following the September 11, 2001 attacks; it had been used only in limited policy circles prior to 9/11. Before this time, such action had been classified as civil defense.

Homeland security is officially defined as "a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur," according to the National Strategy for Homeland Security.   Because the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) it has responsibility for preparedness, response and recovery to natural disasters as well.

Homeland security is generally used to refer to the broad national effort by all levels of government--federal, state, local and tribal--to protect the territory of the United States from e hazards both internal and external as well as the Department of Homeland Security itself.

Homeland security is also usually used to connote the civilian aspect of this effort; "homeland defense" refers to its military component, led chiefly by the US Northern Command headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The scope of homeland security includes:

• Emergency preparedness and response (for both terrorism and natural disasters), including volunteer medical, police, Emergency Management and fire personnel;
• Domestic intelligence activities, largely today within the FBI;
• Critical infrastructure protection;
• Border security, including both land and maritime borders;
• Transportation security, including aviation and maritime transportation;
• Biodefense;
• Detection of nuclear and radiological materials;
• Research on next-generation security technologies.

Outside the United States

Other nations around the world have also reorganized government activities consistent with homeland security. For example, in 2003 Canada created a Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness led by Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan. Many European nations' homeland security efforts are led by their interior ministries, and they are increasingly coordinating their homeland security activities at the European Commission. The Labor Party in Australia has called for the creation of an Australian Department of Homeland Security, but the Liberal Party-led government has opposed this move

We are hearing a lot about homeland security today, but we also all know that against terrorism, “security” is a relative thing.  There’s only so much that is humanly, governmentally, and technologically possible to secure.  After 9/11, we feel better doing something, but we also know that whatever we do, it will not be enough.  Even airlines, with all the heightened security, and the opportunity to focus a search on every individual are not impervious to their own agents who test the system and are able to get through with illegal devices.  So homeland security is at best a goal to strive for, but not something to feel secure about.

The only way to truly have homeland security is to have a home that isn’t here—and I’m not thinking about Switzerland; I’m thinking about heaven.  This is not escapism, mind you; it is reality.  “For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.”  Hebrews 13:14  There is a home that is permanently secure—no terrorist can touch it—and it is our true and ultimate home in heaven.

Now this does not mean that we unplug here, fold up our stuff, and wait for eternity, as some have done.  We continue to be committed to our purposes here on earth to worship God, serve each other, grow in Christ and spread the good news of God’s forgiveness.  But the knowledge that this is not our permanent home puts everything in perspective.

Besides, according to the Bible, we can expect things around here to get shaken up pretty good anyway.  “When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: ‘Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.’ This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.”  Hebrews 12:26-27 NLT

Isn’t it true that when our lives get shaken up, we lose a lot of what we didn’t need anyway so that what remains is much more solid?  Well that is just what is going to happen with this earth and our temporal existence.  God is going to turn us upside down and shake out of our pockets all the cares and worries and dangers of this world and turn us right-side-up to live with Him and each other in a permanent home forever.  That’s real homeland security.

So let’s learn to lock our sights on our other home, even while we work for peace here.  No one can know where the "War on Terrorism" will take us.  However, it is clear that as long as we have an enemy dedicated on attacking our fellow citizens and destroying our way of life, we must be ready to defend ourselves.

Hartson Sager Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net