Opinion piece by Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan, interim dean of The University of Baltimore's College of Public Affairs and professor in the School of Public and International Affairs
Twenty-five years ago today, on September 11, 2001, my academic and professional trajectory was profoundly altered.
September 11, 2001 is a day that changed our nation—and changed me.
No single event has shaped my professional trajectory more. My academic interest in terrorism was discouraged in the 1990s.
"More people die from peanut allergies than terrorism," I was told. And, besides, the future world would be one that involved protracted nation-state conflict—not non-state actors. That all changed on a bright September morning in 2001.
In the years after 9/11, the study of terrorism, counterterrorism, national security, and U.S. foreign policy became a core focus of my scholarly and professional pursuits. What began with a determination to understand terrorism more deeply became a career-long commitment to asking difficult questions about what works, what does not, and what the evidence tells us about how best to protect our communities. In the years after 9/11, my interest in informing the public discourse on terrorism-related matters took on increased importance as I began to advise policymakers on the choices before them.
This 25th anniversary of 9/11 is, first and foremost, an opportunity to remember the nearly 3,000 people whose lives were taken, the families and communities forever changed, and the courage and sacrifice of the first responders and others who ran toward danger.
It is also a moment for reflection. Twenty-five years of research and experience have reinforced for me that effective counterterrorism cannot be built on fear, instinct, or political rhetoric alone. It must be grounded in evidence, rigorous analysis, sound judgment, and a clear understanding of both the intended and unintended consequences of public policy. Security and liberty are not competing aspirations; both are essential to a resilient democracy.
As we commemorate 9/11, may we honor those we lost not only by remembering what happened, but by learning from the quarter-century that followed. Our collective obligation is to pursue policies that make us safer, to remain vigilant without surrendering our principles, and to ensure that evidence and reason continue to inform the difficult choices required to protect a free society.
Our classrooms are the places where this important work can begin.
Learn more about Prof. Ivan Sascha Sheehan and The University of Baltimore's College of Public Affairs.