Editorial: Attacks in India felt worldwide

The holidays are right around the corner. Many stores may not have done as well as they were expecting the weekend after Thanksgiving, but the season is definitely on its way. Moore Library even has its lights up, making the campus look more festive. Since today is the last official day of classes, students only have to worry about final exams and projects, and, of course, packing for six weeks of winter break.

For many people, however, this holiday season will not be as cheery as it has been in the past. The attacks in Mumbai, India, have left the city devastated and in shock. Although the 10 gunmen involved have been stopped, the damage has already been done — at least 179 people died and more than 300 were wounded. The highly trained gunmen attacked specific targets in the city with guns and bombs. Two of the hardest-hit locations were the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal hotels.

These attacks, of course, hit close to home in this country. Six Americans were killed in India, but on top of that, the U.S. has been actively fighting terrorism since the 9/11 attacks. Thankfully, no one affiliated with Rider was injured or killed, but these terrorist attacks still affected our community. The International Travel Course to Mumbai was canceled and the group may now be going to Vietnam and Hong Kong. The professors who planned the trip felt that the issue would not be fully resolved by Jan. 7, when their flight was scheduled. Many other schools that were planning trips to India canceled as well.

It’s understandable why schools won’t take the risk of sending students into a city that was recently attacked. However, other countries cannot continue to take a backseat stance about terrorism and stay frightened. When hundreds of people from all different countries refuse to travel because they are scared of terrorism, it not only further impacts the countries that were attacked, but it gives terrorists exactly what they want.

The end of the semester means a break for students and faculty, but more importantly, the holiday season should represent peace. The attacks in India are scary, but the world needs to stay strong to eradicate terrorism and welcome peace.

This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider News editorial board and is written by the Opinion Editor, Nadine Tester.