Why are we so afraid of Terrorism?

9/11. Paris. San Bernadino. Belgium. Orlando.

All attacks that shook the United States to its very core, bringing the issue of terrorism to the nation's forefront. Americans fear terrorism at an alarming rate. One survey  conducted in the wake of the Paris and San Bernadino attacks found 79% of respondents believed a terrorist attack was very likely or somewhat likely to happen in the United States within the next few months. 19% of those same respondents believed terrorism was the nation's most important issue.

Fear of terrorism isn't just supported by the numbers. It's a hot topic of debate in the 2016 Presidential Campaign. On any given day, you can find several news articles concerning terrorism on nearly every news publication in the world.

Americans fear terrorism.

So, why does it matter?

Research suggests the extent of American fear of terrorism may actually be unfounded. The Global Terrorism Database shows incidents of Terrorism within the United States have drastically decreased over the past 30 years, as shown below.

Furthermore, another survey found between 1969 and 2009, there were 38,345 terrorist incidents around the world. Of those attacks, only 7.1% were directed at the Untied States. So why do we fear terrorism even if the data shows terrorism is less of a threat than we believe it to be?

Because it's still a threat. 5,600 people and more than 16,300 people suffered injuries from acts of terrorism directed at the United States between 1969 and 2009, and that's just in the United States alone. Terrorism is scary and nearly impossible to defeat. It's okay to be scared of terrorism. But, it's important to keep in mind the level of the threat terrorism poses. Fear can cause us to misstep, form dangerous views, and act in ways we wouldn't normally do. In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Terrorism's very existence serves to instill fear in its victims. A healthy amount of fear can keep us alert and proactive, but an unhealthy and uneducated amount of fear can lead to disastrous consequences.