I watched some of the coverage of the terror attacks in Mumbai, India over the last several days.  As is always the case in situations like this, I am appalled by the brutality that humans are able to inflict on other humans.  For as long as I live, I will never understand it.  I will never understand the mindset of people who can commit these kinds of atrocities.

I was watching CNN when the second plane hit the World Trade Center on 9/11.  When we all realized, we were not watching a horrible accident, but that we were under attack.  The feeling was a mix of horror, powerlessness and disbelief.  Some events are so far beyond our experience, we are unable to fully grasp them as they happen.

That feeling returned while watching the news from India.  While the events in Mumbai didn’t have same sudden impact as 9/11, the sustained and relentless nature of the attacks over three days showed a level of organization not previously seen in the hit-and-run tactics we have seen in the past.  We may well be looking at the next phase of the War on Terror.

What the coverage brought home to me is that there really are things in the world to be afraid of.  Fear is a reasonable response to what is going on in the world around us.  Fear is a natural emotion which keeps us alert to potential dangers around us.  Fear is necessary for survival, for each of us individually and for us as a nation.

President-elect Obama’s campaign for the Democratic nomination and the Presidency stressed hope over fear.  Hope is good.  Hope makes us strong.  We cannot let hope make us blind.  Hope will not eliminate the threat of international terrorism and make us safe in our homes and schools and businesses.

We need to remember that our fears aren’t baseless.  Our fears are real.  Our fears keep us vigilant.  Our fears protect us. 

But fear alone isn’t enough.  Fear is a negative emotion which drains us physically, spiritually and emotionally.  We cannot sustain months or years of fear without a break.  That is why the hope promoted by the Obama campaign resonated so strongly with the American populace and with others around the world.   

We still don’t know what President Obama will do once he is in office.  VP candidate Biden made it clear a President Obama would be tested, and the events of the last few days would seem to confirm that.  As President-elect, Obama has been appropriate and circumspect in his communications and properly supportive of the current President.  As President, Obama will not have the luxury of simply staking out a position and making speeches.  As President, Obama will have to find the middle ground between hope and fear and let that guide his actions.