Cold War and Communism Essays - United States Civil Defense

Cold War and Communism Essays - United States Civil Defense Cold War and Communism Victoria Mullally HIS/145 September 7, 2015 Jennifer Moore Cold War and Communism Try to imagine a world where you are constantly in wait for an attack. Oh, wait we do that everyday. During the 1950s there were great fears and preparation for nuclear attack. In todays society we fear terrorism. In many ways these types of attacks are similar. We have to be prepared at any moment for either, but they differ as well. In 1951 children were shown the video Duck and Cover to prepare them for nuclear attacks. The video had a catchy song and mascot who showed you that when you are under attack: to duck and cover. It then went into details of the warning signs of a nuclear attack. The main thing to watch for was the atomic flash. The atomic bomb flash could burn you worse than terrible sunburn. (Archer Productions, 1951). The children were shown different scenarios of being under attack and taught different ways to handle each situation. The video had one common piece of information: if you are under attack duck and cover. Today with the constant fear of terrorist attacks we should have a plan as well. There is no video to help us understand what we can do in the case of a terrorist attack. Making a video would be difficult too. There is no one way a terrorist can attack, for all we know they could use an atomic bomb. If everyone saw the Duck and Cover film we would have at least that information to help protect us. Lets go back to the day of 9/11. There was no warning these attacks were coming and there was no way a duck and cover would have protected us. Needless to say it is more difficult to live in fear of terrorism than just an atomic bomb. People are unpredictable and being as best prepared as possible is all you can do. Living in the constant fear of any attack is difficult. You can never be fully prepared for what may come. Terrorist or atomic bombs, it doesnt matter. Nothing changes the fact that attacks can happen any time and any place. Remember what you know, but dont assume you know what exactly is happening either. References Archer Productions (1951). Duck and Cover [Video file]. Retrieved from Internet Archive website: https://archive.org/details/DuckandC1951