Fighting In Relationships

Text Against Terror Campaign Fighting an Imagined Threat

On a train, its destination unknown, two women notice a man at the front of their car wearing a backpack and a ball cap. His hands are in his pocket. He’s clearly nervous and looking from one side to the other.

He could be a first time rider looking out for a rapidly arriving stop, or, less likely, considering the fact that NJ Transit and its trains have never been the target of a terrorist attack, let alone a single publically announced threat, a mad bomber intent on blowing up the train and killing everyone inside.

It’s an answer the listener will never know, or perhaps as it can be more accurately stated, shouldn’t care to know. As the commercial, which has played in heavy rotation on radio stations throughout the state, indicates earnestly, none of it really matters.

See something suspicious; report it.

The spot ends with an ominous militaristic refrain that’s all too familiar in a world still struggling to find its right place between conflicting desires for freedom and security following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks: we’re all on the front lines.

In June, NJ Transit unveiled a new security and customer-based surveillance measure called “Text Against Terror.” A release from the company at the time of the program’s announcement proclaims that the new initiative represents the agency’s commitment to maintaining a heightened sense of vigilance across the transit system.

Though there have never been any terrorism-related incidents on any NJ Transit lines – assaults and robberies on occasion, sure, though there’s no “Respond to Robbery” or “Act Against Assault” yet – prevention remains key.

The campaign is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and includes ads on television and radio, posters, panel cards, and social media efforts to get the word out. Through the relative anonymity of texting, a concerned passenger can alert NJ Transit authorities in silence, not only about suspicious activities or packages, but anything that poses the question: could this involve terrorism?

Though the intention of the Text Against Terror is to make it easier for passengers to report suspicious activities, some wonder if the program isn’t just another instance of Security Theater, and ill-conceived and unenforceable effort that exacerbates fearful perceptions instead of reality.

How to Fight Fairly | Relationships

Finding yourself in the middle of a full-blown argument is never fun, and there’s always a good chance that it can turn nasty. Before you know it, you’ve forgotten what you’re even fighting about, and what began as a simple disagreement has turned into a total name-calling match—leaving you with even bigger problems than what you started with. Whether you’re arguing with your guy, best friend , boss or even your mom, here’s how to keep your temper in check, and get issues resolved sooner than later.

DO: Stop and Listen When you’re angry, you don’t always actually hear what the other person is saying. So, instead of focusing on what you’re going to say next, or how mad you are, try to stop and actually listen to what is being said. You can save yourself a lot of time and stress by just letting the other person talk, and hopefully they’ll show you the same respect when it’s your turn.

DO: Stay Calm Using ultimatums and empty threats to get what you want can only lead to disaster. Not only does this not work, but it can also make you look desperate, illogical and silly. And let’s say your boyfriend takes your fine-then-I’ll-break-up-with-you threat seriously: not only will you not get what you want, you’ll also be stuck with what you really didn’t want.

DO: Take a Time-Out After a certain point, if you find that things aren’t going anywhere and the two of you are too angry to even think straight, take some space, calm down and regroup when you feel ready. Taking some time away from the problem can also help you to see things clearer, and take a more productive approach when you do continue the argument.

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