Let’s start with Trump.  In summary, he wants to round up all of the Muslims and send them to Saudi Arabia.  That would include “all” even those born in the U.S. making them U.S. citizens.  Trump appeals to the worst part of us.  He makes statements that are clearly untrue.  Today on Face the Nation, he alleged that there were people around this couple who knew what was going on and wouldn’t report it because of “profiling.”  He can make statements like this with zero challenge because his style projects that whatever he says is “fact.”  He is an evil man as is the Liberty University President, Jerry Falwell, Jr. They are both creating a real war here inside our borders thereby creating more angst and possible motivations for not only the “terrorists” but for the wackos who want support for wielding a gun and shooting people for their own demented reasons.

But what about this couple with a 6-month old baby.  Not that Daddy should be excused for these murders, but I believe that Mommy was radicalized before she met Daddy and used Daddy as a means to enter the U.S. (over an Arab dating site) in order to radicalize Daddy to pull off this atrocity.  It’s not that every single U.S. Citizen male Muslim can be manipulated, I wish more time was being spent on Daddy’s psychological profile.  His own father has psyche issues as I understand it.  He was an abusive alcoholic whom his mother eventually divorced.  I read somewhere that he was also bipolar.  It would not be surprising that someone living in such an environment wouldn’t be especially susceptible to manipulation or even exhibit a genetic predisposition.

This why the Mosques become important, not as sites of radicalization but as the best observers of conduct or personalities that would raise concerns.  I think they can help and at the same time earn respect from the non-Muslim community.

I’ll acknowledge that it is hard to recognize and identify folks who are plotting attacks.  Is your neighbor building bombs in his garage or is he really working on his car?  Should we be suspicious of our neighbors?  Should fear cause endless concerns or should we just withdraw from our day to day activities and never leave our homes.  Is carrying a concealed gun going to protect us if a group armed with military assault rifles attacks a school assembly, a mall, a theater, a restaurant or a church? Doubtful.

I attended an “active shooter” class at Dulles Airport not long ago.  So here’s what I learned:  Run.  Can’t run?  Hide.  Can’t hide?  Fight back.  Yeah, sure.  But we can’t give in to fear.  I think we have always had the nut cases who attack us (domestic terrorists) but it’s always scarier when the attackers appear to be part of a world-wide assault on all of us.  We cannot give into any of these terrorists.