A Peek at How Shahzad's Botched Terrorist Attack is Weighing on New Yorkers

On Saturday night, just a few blocks (less than a mile) away from the Woman's Day headquarters, 30-year-old Faisal Shahzad attempted to detonate a vehicle full of explosives. For his actions, he was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

I, like everyone else, am keeping up with updates about Shahzad's family, educational and career history, along with those of his botched plan and airport exploits, and the details of it swirl around in my head as I wait—for them to identify the missing pieces (and the missing accomplice who was caught on surveillance), for everyone to stop calling Shahzad the suspect (when he's set out to convince the world he's the convict) and for law enforcement to prove they plan on preventing making the same mistakes again, regarding weaponry sales and airport security. (GlobalNational.com has a pretty good explanation.)

It's tough not to feel overwhelmed after an event like this, and for it to not raise larger questions in your mind about religion, humanity and war. My sister said very matter-of-factly last night, "I want to know what percentage of people in this country want to kill all the people in this country," and I couldn't help but deem it a valid question. Scary, but at the end of the day, you can either join a force for change or hold tight and keep trucking forward, even if you live and work within a short reach of every major terrorist attack that has occurred in New York City. Let's see how the other editors at WomansDay.com feel, and then tell us, how do you feel?

"Learning about the attempted car bomb in Times Square felt a little bit like finding out a plane landed in the Hudson—had things gone differently, there would've been a lot of people hurt in an area close to where I work. Things like this always rattle the nerves, but you can't let fear of the "what ifs" dictate your behavior."-Meghan Ahearn, Senior Associate Editor

"Working near Times Square, I'm proud of how the van situation was handled by the NYPD—efficient and fast, with full disclosure for those near the scene. I wish I could say the same about our airline security systems. The lack of communication and efficiency in following the no-fly list in this case is appalling and worrisome. What's worse, I don't think this incident will improve safety. Airline security has always been reactive instead of proactive with incidents such as these, creating red tape for flyers while terrorists move on to new methods." -Mandy Major, Associate Editor

"I was really happy to hear about how quickly everyone in Times Square responded to the situation—from the street vendor who reported the suspicious vehicle to the investigators who made an arrest in just under two days. The near-lapse at the airport, however, is a good reminder that you really can't ever let your guard down when it comes to being vigilant." -Amanda Greene, Staff Writer/Editor

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