Radicals, Terrorists, and Common Sense

Congressman King will be having hearings this week on homegrown radicals this week. Of course there is plenty of noise coming from the peanut gallery, calling it bigotry and an attack on all Muslims. Al Sharpton doesn't understand why he isn't investigating the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords and the Virginia Tech shootings.


That is an easy answer, they were crazy and it had nothing to do with terrorism.

 

Terrorism Noun:
the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.

Both shootings were committed by young men with mental health problems and had no political motive. While both shootings did scare people, they do not fit the definition of terrorism. Hence that is why it doesn't need to be investigated by congress. Now, if they choose to do a hearing on mental health in this country then both these shootings would of course be included. But, since this hearing is specifically on the growth of terrorism being committed by Americans they don't belong in these hearings.

 

Al Sharpton is also upset that they are not including the Oklahoma City bombing. The OKC bombing has been investigated by congress, several times in fact. So to include this seems like a waste of time. We also need to look at the fact that we are not exactly having a rash of bombings being done by American's who are upset over Waco and feel that our government has become the enemy like McVeigh said he did. That bombing happened almost 16 years ago and we have not had an incident since. That would say to anyone thinking rationally that it really isn't a big problem. Matter of fact, it sounds like a non-existent one to me.

 

 

 

In less than four months in late 2009 we had the following incidents happen: (source New York Times)

 

• September 19: Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan citizen and U.S. legal resident, is arrested on charges of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. Authorities claim that Zazi traveled to Pakistan to receive explosives and weapons training and that he planned to launch an attack in the U.S.
• November 5: Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly kills 13 and wounds 30 at Fort Hood Army Base, outside Killeen, Texas. Early reports reveal that Hasan had been in contact with radical Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
• November 23: Federal officials unseal indictments against eight people charged in connection with the alleged recruitment of up to two-dozen Somali-Americans to fight with the Somali insurgent group and al Qaeda affiliate, al-Shabaab.
• December 8: The F.B.I. accuses U.S. citizen David Coleman Headley of conspiring with operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani terrorist group, in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Authorities also allege that Headley had planned to attack a Danish newspaper.
• December 9: Five young Northern Virginia men are arrested in Sargodha, Pakistan. U.S. and Pakistani authorities claim the group traveled there to fight alongside Taliban militants in Afghanistan

 There are some realities that have to be faced. The vast majority of terrorism around the world is done in the Islam. Many terrorism experts say that about 7% of Muslims have been radicalized. While that seems like a very small percentage, there are more than a billion Muslims worldwide. That gives a very high number of radicals running around plotting to kill non believers and infidels.

 

7% of respondents think that the 9/11 attacks were "completely" justified and view the United States unfavorably. Among those who believe that the 9/11 attacks were not justified, whom we'll call "moderates," 40% are pro-United States, but 60% view the United States unfavorably.

 

Analyzing and comparing the answers of the 7% with the moderate majority produced some surprising results. By focusing on the 7%, whom we'll call "the politically radicalized" because of their radical political orientation, we are not saying that all in this group commit acts of violence. However, those with extremist views are a potential source for recruitment or support for terrorist groups. This group is also so committed to changing political conditions that they are more likely to view other civilian attacks as justifiable: 13% of the politically radicalized versus 1% of moderates say that attacks on civilians are "completely justified."

 

We can keep our heads in the sand or we can take preventative measures to protect our society. It is the job of the federal government to keep the nation safe. That is actually in the constitution, so it seems that the congressman is doing his job.

 

The reality is that this is war that is within Islam. Muslims can continue to blame the American public for bigotry or they can take a stand and do something about the dangerous elements within their ranks and refuse to allow people to kill innocents in their name or in the name of Allah. The choice is theirs.