By AMY LAWRENCE, Features Editor, Manfuacturing.net
On September 11, 2001, a group of terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes on a suicide mission that would also claim the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent citizens.
After the initial shock wore off, the hunt was on for the man behind the attacks, Osama bin Laden. Nearly a decade after the towers fell, the White House announced that bin Laden was dead and Americans celebrated the news.
Bin Laden’s death is clearly a victory for the U.S. military, and while it doesn’t mean that terrorism is no longer a threat, it does mean that all Americans should be proud of the accomplishment and they have a right to celebrate, particularly in New York and at the Pentagon.
And all this patriotism and celebration got me thinking. What can we do with the surge of empowerment that comes from knowing we killed the man behind the September 11th attacks?
Our economy is getting stronger, but it still faces a bumpy road. Could bin Laden’s death give the economy a boost?
We should ride this wave of patriotism and go after the next threat to the U.S. -- China. If we can be a powerful military force, why can’t we be a powerful manufacturing force?
China has flooded the U.S. market with cheap goods, some of which pose serious health risks, and has put up barriers for foreign companies trying to compete in China. How many jobs have we seen disappear to low-cost locations like China? And how many times have we seen quality suffer?
The death of Osama bin Laden is a milestone in the war against terror. We were hit hard on September 11, but we rose above the tragedy and showed the world that America doesn’t back down.
And we shouldn’t back down from China. We should take advantage of this American triumph and promote all things “Made in the USA.” American manufacturers have high-quality goods that are produced in the United States. They provide jobs for Americans and those paychecks help benefit our economy.
We should make consumers and Washington stand up and take notice. Instead of buying foreign junk with toxic chemicals and lead paint, Americans should be buying American products and sending a message to China that we are a united, strong and competent country. We will not back down from a fight.
What’s your take? Let me know in the comments section or via email at [email protected].
