Upon learning of a meeting I scheduled in Thomson, Illinois my young son asked me with a concerned look on his face “Dad, did you know there are terrorists in Thomson?” Obviously he heard a news report about the possible relocation of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. I assured him that I would be safe though I could tell from the look on his face he was neither comforted nor deterred. “Dad, are terrorists real?” I assured him he had nothing to worry about, that there were no terrorists nearby. I gave him a hug and he went on about his day. Watching him walk away I felt both sad that at his young age he even knew the word and disgusted that he and I shared the same fears.
Many, like my son, believe in a certain type of terrorist, of ”evil doers” from some distant and remote part of our planet hell bent on doing us harm. Terrorists come in turbans and that’s that. We can isolate them, keep them at bay long enough to outlast them. While our government works to convince us that those “foreigners” wanting to attack us, hell bent on destroying you and I can be held at bay with fences, airport security screenings and the reframing of political phraseology. We need to feel safe, our elected officials pander to that need and we check passports and our common sense, thinking it will protect us.
But what of the home grown models? What of the new breed of terrorists, more Tim McVeigh that Taliban, more Terry Nichols than Khalid Sheikh Muhammad? I learned a new term today from a Huffington Post article by Dan Collins. In his piece, he uses the catchy phrase “nut job of unexpected origin” in referring to the early evidence surrounding the attempted bombings this past weekend in New York City. Terrorists, what ever their varied origins, have one common destination in mind. They may hail from half way around the world or just down the street. Doesn’t matter. In their hearts thrives the goal to scare and disrupt, to cripple their targets in chaos and fear.
As we work to reframe our understanding of the threats we face from NJUO’s let’s concede right now that the new breed of terrorist is preparing to strike from an “unexpected origin.” It’s their version of shock and awe.
As we adopt this fresh viewpoint we can be still be vigilant, aware of our surroundings and prepared for whatever fate throws at us yet in doing so, let’s not surrender our common sense, our civil liberties, our decency towards each other or our tax dollars on walls that were never going to work in the first place.
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BOLO: A New Breed of Terrorist
Upon learning of a meeting I scheduled in Thomson, Illinois my young son asked me with a concerned look on his face “Dad, did you know there are terrorists in Thomson?” Obviously he heard a news report about the possible relocation of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. I assured him that I would be safe though I could tell from the look on his face he was neither comforted nor deterred. “Dad, are terrorists real?” I assured him he had nothing to worry about, that there were no terrorists nearby. I gave him a hug and he went on about his day. Watching him walk away I felt both sad that at his young age he even knew the word and disgusted that he and I shared the same fears.
Many, like my son, believe in a certain type of terrorist, of ”evil doers” from some distant and remote part of our planet hell bent on doing us harm. Terrorists come in turbans and that’s that. We can isolate them, keep them at bay long enough to outlast them. While our government works to convince us that those “foreigners” wanting to attack us, hell bent on destroying you and I can be held at bay with fences, airport security screenings and the reframing of political phraseology. We need to feel safe, our elected officials pander to that need and we check passports and our common sense, thinking it will protect us.
But what of the home grown models? What of the new breed of terrorists, more Tim McVeigh that Taliban, more Terry Nichols than Khalid Sheikh Muhammad? I learned a new term today from a Huffington Post article by Dan Collins. In his piece, he uses the catchy phrase “nut job of unexpected origin” in referring to the early evidence surrounding the attempted bombings this past weekend in New York City. Terrorists, what ever their varied origins, have one common destination in mind. They may hail from half way around the world or just down the street. Doesn’t matter. In their hearts thrives the goal to scare and disrupt, to cripple their targets in chaos and fear.
As we work to reframe our understanding of the threats we face from NJUO’s let’s concede right now that the new breed of terrorist is preparing to strike from an “unexpected origin.” It’s their version of shock and awe.
As we adopt this fresh viewpoint we can be still be vigilant, aware of our surroundings and prepared for whatever fate throws at us yet in doing so, let’s not surrender our common sense, our civil liberties, our decency towards each other or our tax dollars on walls that were never going to work in the first place.
Connect with Brian on Facebook
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