Compare And Contrast Pearl Harbor And 9/11

The last time the United States was attacked as violently as 9/11 was in 1941 during the attacks on Pearl Harbor. On December 7th, 1941, Japanese fighter planes barraged the American naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. The attacks of Pearl Harbor killed approximately 2,403 people, wounded over one thousand more people, and destroyed about twenty naval vessels. This attack caused President Roosevelt to declare war on Japan and ultimately join World War II. Both devastating attacks were regarded as embarrassing breaches of American security, which caused citizens to react vehemently towards the respective foreigners. In the aftermath of both acts of violence, the United States wanted to prove they would not be bullied by foreign powers. 9/11 was

Since 9/11 attackers easily breached the cockpits of their respective planes because they were unlocked following takeoff, now the cockpit is locked throughout the duration of the flight to ensure the safety of the pilots. Although it is not required, many airlines introduced surveillance cameras in the passenger cabins for pilots to monitor, which gives pilots more time to react if a terrorist situation were to occur. Since 9/11, there has been a significant expansion in the Federal Air Marshall Service for added protection on long-distance flights. If air marshals, the crew, or passengers are unable to stop an attacker, pilots are now able to protect themselves. Since pilots were defenseless before 9/11, they are now armed to add an extra layer of defense to preventing terrorists from ever controlling a jet. Since airlines made substantial upgrades to their air carriers after 9/11, passengers and pilots are better protected from future

In the ten years immediately following 9/11, the United States spent 635 billion dollars on homeland security. With this increase in spending American citizens would expect airport security to be greatly improved, but there have been many instances where the TSA failed to do its job. On a flight from Atlanta to Chicago, Blake Alford carried a fully loaded semi-automatic handgun with him all the way to his hotel in Chicago. Mr. Alford turned himself into the TSA after he realized his infraction, but this rare instance has people wondering how often the TSA makes mistakes. Alford went through security like any other traveler in the Atlanta airport, but even a full body scan did not detect his weapon. If Mr. Alford had terrorist intentions, he easily could have taken control of the plane with a loaded handgun. While the TSA spent millions of dollars to improve airport security, Blake Alford shows that there are still many blunders that can occur in high-tech airports that serve millions of people each