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71 years ago tonight, Orson Welles captivated America with his dramatic radio account of a gruesome Martian attack. Unfortunately, many listeners failed to grasp the fictional nature of the broadcast, and panic gripped many communities across the nation.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, we experienced somewhat similar feelings as we began to hear reports of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Is it fair to compare these two events in American history – one legendary, and one all too real? What’s on your mind tonight?
3 Comments
oOo EEeeeOoOo…
A year later and FDR could have used the radio program as a pretext to join World War 2 earlier.
Absolutely an informative comparison. In one case, govt. acted to squeltch the panic and fear of its citizens. In the other, govt. carefully nurtured that fear, and used it.