Vegas Q&A: Terrorism In Las Vegas?
LAS VEGAS -- Question: I have been concerned that Las Vegas would be a good terrorist target. There are so many crowds and accesses to the casinos and resorts. How can the hotel-resorts be secure? We are reluctant to visit because of this reason.
Connie in Prairie Village, Kan.
Answer: Hi, Connie. Thank you for your question. It's an important one.
First, in case anyone hadn't heard, there was a man in Vegas who claimed to have intercepted a call on his cell phone between two men speaking in Arabic about an attack on Las Vegas over the Independence Day weekend. Subsequent investigation has not necessarily proved that the whole thing was a hoax, but let's just say that not too many people believe the story anymore. But it does bring up a good point about Las Vegas and other tourist destinations in these times.
I'm not going to get into whether Las Vegas would make a good target. I'm not a terrorist and I can't possibly imagine what they think, but it would seem that anyplace where there is a high concentration of people and high-profile structures might be something that would get their attention.
But that's not just Las Vegas. That's every major city, Disneyland, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Washington Monument, and about 1,000 other places.
And now it seems that the threat even extends beyond that. Just last week some official talked about concerns of attacks on Jewish neighborhoods or temples in the United States. I don't know if the Jewish synagogue in Prairie Village, Kan., is necessarily high on the terrorist target list, but what that means is you could be driving to the grocery store and become a victim of terrorism.
Heck, you could be driving to the grocery store and get broadsided by a bus. As a matter of fact, that is much more likely than you ever being involved in any kind of terrorist attack.
Connie, I can't make decisions for you or anyone else reading this column, but you have to understand that everything in life has some measure of risk. You have to decide how much of that risk you're willing to take. Some people think it's perfectly acceptable to jump out of an airplane with a little piece of nylon strapped to their backs, whereas I would not do that for any amount of money, ever. I understand that parachuting is usually very safe, but I'm not willing to accept the risk that I may plummet to the earth in a big messy splatter.
I also believe that the risk of a terrorist attack in Vegas is relatively low and that the chances of me being injured or killed in one are infinitesimal. That's why I was out last weekend on the Strip, understanding that there is a risk but willing to accept it. Whether that's a risk you are willing to accept is up to you, but I hope it is. You're going to miss out on a lot of fun if it isn't.
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