Defiance and shopping: the American way
Kelly Nugent is a brave woman. The fact she was wearing a New England Patriots scarf in New York Giants country is the least of it.
In the face of the U.S. State Department's heightened terror alerts, here's how Nugent spent her week in defiance of fear.
Monday night, she went to the Patriots-Buffalo Bills game in Foxborough, Mass.
On Thanksgiving, she went to the Macy's parade.
On Black Friday she was at Newark Penn Station, boarding an Amtrak train for Baltimore because she had to work.
Her job?
Flight attendant.
Nugent lives in New Hamphire - the land of Live Free or Die - but was in New Jersey after visiting her children and grandchildren in the area for Thanksgiving.
Of course, the specter of terror attacks "concerns" her. Concerns, not frightens. That's not just semantics. There's a Webster's difference.
"We can't live in fear," she said as she lugged her carry-ons through Penn Station at dawn. "We have to be aware of our surroundings, but we can't be scared out of our freedom."
Concerned, not frightened. Maybe even a little defiant.
The American way.
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That seemed to be how everyone felt as they traveled or shopped over the holiday weekend just days after the state department's "global terror alert" following attacks in France, Nigeria, Denmark, Turkey and Mali.
The alert said ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram and other Islamic groups "continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions" and warned that people should "avoid large crowds or crowded places" including "large sporting events."
"Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events."
The alert is in place until the end of February and coincided with the busiest American travel days of the year. In fact, the air travel trade group, Airlines for America, estimated that 25.3 million people would be flying during Thanksgiving weekend, the highest total since the Recession hit in 2008.
These colors don't run. They fly. Or ride trains.
Ashley Owens of Philadelphia was traveling with her father from New Jersey to Virginia via Amtrak early Black Friday and her travel thoughts echoed Nugent's. Concern, not fear.
"We are not living in fear," she said. "I'm not going to let fear stop me from doing the things I want to do, like seeing my family."
At Penn Station at rush hour, there was the usual, small cadre of New Jersey Transit police rousting the overnight guests, nothing heavier. No militarized, SWAT-types carrying automatic weapons, no bomb sniffing dogs, no other evidence of "heightened alert."
In New Jersey shopping malls, Black Friday isn't what it used to be, but that's because of Thanksgiving night shopping and the internet, not fears of terrorism.
"My wife does all her shopping on the internet," said Brad Davidson of West Caldwell as he stood on line about 200 other people at Best Buy in Woodland Park, waiting for the 8 a.m. opening. "I've already been to Willowbrook, so for me it's a typical day-after-Thanksgiving."
Like the travelers, he said the terrorism threat "concerned" him, but wouldn't keep him from "daily life."
But Melissa Piombo, who was in the same line, admitted she would make a few changes this year.
"I'm a little more nervous about going to larger places," said Piombo, who lives in Essex County. "I'm going to stay out of the malls and go to mom-and-pop shops, which is probably good anyway. And I probably won't go into New York (Rockefeller Center) to see the tree this year."
At the Rockaway Mall, Gina Miller of Oak Ridge emerged with two handfuls of bags before the sun was up. She, too, said the terror warning made her nervous. But they didn't stop her.
"I think we all think about it," she said. "I came early and got done quickly. I just feel safer that way."
Jose Martinez of Flanders, shopping with his son Jonathon, likened his Black Friday excursion to "defiance."
"We're just going to go about our lives," he said.
At the Best Buy in Woodland Park, Jamal Williams and Briana Dismukes of Newark, too, were in and out early.
"I'm a little worried," Dismukes said. "I was pretty happy the cops (four Passaic County sheriffs) were here," Dismukes said.
"Living in the tri-state area, you definitely have to be concerned," Williams said. "You have to keep an eye open. But I feel safe."
Muhammed Shahiduzzaman of Paterson and his family were also at the Best Buy. They are Muslim immigrants from Pakistan and their son, Muhammed Abu, 16, did the talking for them since his parents speak no English.
"We're not afraid. There shouldn't be a problem," he said, before his mother interrupted in their native language.
"I have to go," she said. "She wants to start shopping."
Defiance and shopping.
The American way.
Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.