Killers in Our Midst

Terror bombings anywhere are just as heinous as those in London. If we believe otherwise then we show ourselves as self-serving hypocrites willing to manipulate people we don't care about in order to make ourselves more secure. On the other hand, if we acknowledge that all such bombings are of equal evil we show that we really do care about ending terrorism the world over, and that Iraqi and Israeli lives are just as important as American or British. That is an important thing to believe if there is to be any honor or nobility in the war on terror.

Apparently all the bombers in London were British. The scariest part is that no one saw it coming. Apparently there is a movement by radical Muslims in Middle Eastern countries to lure and seduce moderate Muslims into their extremism. Fear is the last thing we need, but caution and vigilance are more necessary now than ever. If the initial theories prove true, the jihadists have managed to hide deep sleepers in Britain for a period of months or years before an attack took place. Sleepers are especially dangerous because they do not operate within a cell -- they are individuals, or in this case a small group of friends, who are completely inactive in any terror circles until they carry out their attacks. To think that they existed in Britain but not in the US is utterly foolish. The only right assumption at this point is to believe that there must be at least some similar group of motivated individuals in the US. As I said before, fear is not what we need. But we need to be aware that they are most likely here, and could strike at any moment. And we will have no warning because they are acting on their own, not with the guidance of terror group leaders elsewhere. So we must be vigilant, watching out for any suspicious activity. We also need to support moderate Muslim groups in efforts to keep their members from becoming extremists. It appears right now that the main weapon of our enemies is the well-meaning faithful follower who can be manipulated into becoming a walking bomb. We need to encourage and support moderation when it comes to religious beliefs that involve or easily lead to violence. Creating a society that moderates cannot be convinced is evil (which is impossible to do completely without becoming a Muslim culture, but can be achieved to some greater degree with work) will ensure security far more than any government agency. I'm not exactly sure what that looks like at this point, but I know respect and understanding rarely work to isolate or anger people.