The Hilltop - Editorials
Issue: 9/23/03
Betting on Terror
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it is not unusual to hear, or even participate in random conversations about where the next bombing will take place. Think about it. Office break rooms, coffee shops, living rooms, and campus hangouts across the country have been home to talks of impending terrorist attacks.
While it is normal for people to be concerned about possible future attacks and to discuss such possibilities among themselves, a new website has gone way too far. The website, www.Terror Bet.com allows people to go online and bet on where future attacks will take place.
We've heard of betting on horse races, ball games, and boxing matches, but betting on what city will be attacked next enters a whole new realm of ethics.
Surprisingly, the new terror future market is an idea that the private sector has picked up from the Pentagon. The Pentagon originally proposed a market where people could pose questions on such issues as to whether North Korea would launch a nuclear attack. Thankfully, the project collapsed, but that did not stop websites like www.Terrorbet.com, and the similarly outrageous www.TradeSports.com from taking the idea and running with it.
We believe that this is completely ridiculous and utterly wrong. Terrorism is a serious issue in today's society. It is absurd that these sites are making money off of the perpetuation of fear.
Besides this, these websites dishonor the families of those individuals who lost their lives due to terrorism in this country and across the world. People are making sport of an issue that devastates lives.
Furthermore, betting on future terrorist attacks could quite possibly encourage terrorism. There are sick people out there and terrorist cells that may find even further motivation by sites such as these who market their efforts.
The terror future market is fundamentally in bad taste and should not be supported. The bottom line is that it is not right to make a sport out of something as grave as terrorism.