The recent airing of tapes on CNN of terroristic activities should be a reminder to all of us that terrorism is going to be an ever present threat -- at least until groups like al-Qaeda are eliminated.

In south central Minnesota, it's easy for us not to think much about such destructive behavior. We go to work each day, come home, mow our lawns and watch television. But the tapes are a horrific reminder on what could actually happen to us here.

America needs to stay vigilant in its war on terrorism. We must continue to do everything from continuing our war overseas, to extensively screening every person that gets on an airplane.

Yes, we've experienced many inconveniences since Sept. 11. But these tapes show we can't take any shortcuts on our safety.