Why We Shouldn’t Exaggerate the Scale of Terrorism

Whenever terrorism is being reported on, some effort should be made to put the issue in context. It only takes a few words: Since 1970, an American’s chance of being killed by a terrorist in the U.S. is one in four million per year. Since September 11, 2001, it is one in 50 million per year. But it almost never happens. Instead, there is a strong tendency to inflate the dangers presented by, and the capacities of, the terrorists who may be lurking out there.