There are a select group of days that we, as American citizens, hold especially close to our hearts. These are holidays that not only bring loved ones together but also inspire a sense of unity among the many people of our country. Arguably, the most prominent of these is July Fourth, Independence Day, which is commonly portrayed as the most American holiday anyone can ask for.

However, the usual comfortable security that comes hand in hand with that day has been noticeably missing this year. This has to do with ISIS and its threatened actions during our nation’s birthday. The threat put the country on alert on what should have been a day of relaxation and camaraderie.

ISIS is truly a most barbaric and ruthless terrorist group. It is the perpetrator of countless acts of torture, murder, and oppression, and it has a fixed antagonistic eye set upon the United States. Furthermore, its modus operandi is to highly publicize its actions in order to garner more attention.

Mix this pattern with its releasing a map on Fourth of July of FBI command centers, and we had a recipe for mass hysteria waiting to happen.

I am a bit on the dubious side of questioning the validity of these statements. When I looked for articles pertaining to this apparent threat, I was not impressed. The original report concerning the map of command center, HNGN.com, lacked any insightful information. Subsequent coverage has been focused more on how officials have been going about inserting the appropriate precautions to combat any possible threat. From what can be gathered, it seems as if this is just a case of being overly alarmed. Weirdly enough, this is a good thing.

The alarm and alertness that is felt nationally seems to be, in all honesty, a form of self-awareness. Despite countless claims from civilians and politician alike that we live in the greatest country in the world, we still fear the damage that can be caused by our enemies — both big and small. This entire experience has been a reminder about how truly vulnerable comfort can make the populace. At the end of the day, we are just as vulnerable as the next country, regardless of social, economic, and political comparisons.

Despite an extraordinarily high alert level, Independence Day came and went.

We, the American public, celebrated with a strong peace of mind and a stronger sense of unified patriotism. ISIS tried to spread fear and poison one of our most beloved holidays in order to divide us. They failed, and we persevered.

Let this be a lesson that security may be a luxury, and that luxury is capable of making us forget what still exists. Like every problem that comes our way, we must simply stand our ground and simultaneously stand together.