Issue When might efforts to secure America go too far? Starter Excerpt from The Onion—America's Finest News Source, copyright 2001 CEDAR RAPIDS, IA — In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the Cedar Rapids Public Library is undertaking steps to tighten security, library officials announced Monday. "As caretakers of the most prominent public building in the second largest city in Iowa, this library can no longer afford to take chances," library director Glenda Quarles said. "Due to our limited budget, we can't devote the kind of resources and manpower to security that, say, the Library of Congress can. But because of our high profile and easy access, we feel a strong responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of those members of the public who visit and use us." . . . A number of new security measures will directly affect the public: It will now become more difficult to obtain a library card, requiring a birth certificate and two forms of photo ID. The daily children's story hour has been shortened to 20 minutes. And while the library has always officially had a no-loitering rule on the books, it will now be strictly enforced. Cedar Rapids residents are praising the security upgrade as a necessary response to the events on the East Coast. "Some people might consider the prospect of metal detectors and three forms of ID for library cards a bit extreme, but we're living in a whole new world," longtime resident Frank Gonitz said. "The way I figure, if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide, right?" "I can't believe that just three weeks ago, I was naïve enough to believe that a library was a safe sanctuary for quiet reading and contemplative study," said Melinda Wallach, 52. "Maybe one day, things will return to normal. But I think the lesson here is, if it can happen at the Pentagon, it can happen anywhere." "Security Beefed Up at Cedar Rapids Public Library," The Onion, October 3, 2001 [Note: The Onion is a satirical newspaper published in both print and online editions. The preceding is an excerpt from an article published in an online special edition of the newspaper that responded to the September 11 attacks. The names and events described in the story are invented.] Focus Questions What is the role of humor in this article? Is humor an appropriate approach to a serious topic? Why or why not? Cedar Rapids "resident" Frank Gonitz justifies the imposition of new security measures by saying "The way I figure it, if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide, right?" What do you think of this statement? Do you think that people with "nothing to hide" have any reason to be concerned about measures to increase our national security? The statement "if it can happen at the Pentagon, it can happen anywhere" plays upon the contrast between the Pentagon, a national symbol of our country's defense capabilities, and the relatively insignificant symbolism of a public library in a small Midwestern city. Should our security efforts and concerns be concentrated only on "clear" terrorist targets such as the Pentagon? How far should efforts to secure Americans from the threat of terrorism reach? Suggested Resources Wendy Doniger, "Terror and Gallows Humor: After September 11?" Roger Angell, "Uniform Bliss," from The New Yorker (Nov. 12, 2001). The New Yorker's approach to humor during the Second World War. More resources for this topic Starters for this topic: 1  2  3  4  All (.pdf) Note: The views expressed here have not been approved by the House of Delegates or the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, and accordingly, should not be construed as representing the policy of the American Bar Association, nor do they represent the official position or policies of the ABA Standing Committee on Public Education.