, ▁why ▁then , ▁the ▁terror ists ▁have ▁won " ▁( as ▁explained ▁by ▁Jeff ▁Green field ▁of ▁CNN ). ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁expression ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁before ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁an ▁article ▁in ▁the ▁Journal ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Bar ▁Association ▁( AB A ) ▁reported : ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁an ▁editor ial ▁about ▁the ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁Oklahoma ▁City ▁bomb ing ▁in ▁the ▁O cala ▁Star - B anner , ▁of ▁O cala , ▁Florida ▁concluded : ▁" O ur ▁response ▁to ▁terror ism ▁should ▁be ▁carefully ▁measured . ▁If ▁our ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁rights ▁suffer ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁awful ▁domestic ▁terror ist ▁attack ▁in ▁Oklahoma ▁City ▁the ▁terror ists ▁have ▁indeed , ▁won ." ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁an ▁editor ial ▁in ▁ ▁the ▁Victoria ▁Adv oc ate ▁of ▁Victoria , ▁Texas ▁said : ▁" If ▁Americans ▁begin ▁to ▁yield ▁their ▁own ▁fre ed oms ▁at ▁home , ▁the ▁terror ists ▁have ▁won ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁months ▁after ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 1 ▁attacks , ▁the ▁expression ▁was ▁often ▁used . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁instances ▁was ▁on ▁November ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁by ▁Ellen ▁De Gener es , ▁who ▁was ▁hosting ▁the ▁Em my ▁Awards , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁post pon ed ▁twice ▁that ▁year ▁for ▁wor ries ▁that ▁a ▁show y ▁celebr ation ▁would ▁seem ▁in app ropri ate ▁in