I often hear the word "terrorism" or "terrorist". It's said by the media, politicians, businessmen, Today when you think of a terrorist, it is often a middle eastern man holding a rifle in the air. This image has been branded in our minds, after 9-11. In airports, supermarkets, anywhere...people are constantly on guard for someone who fits this look, who looks suspicious. Unfortunately, this has caused stereotypes, and I could go into a long discussion about Islam and racism, but its not the point of this blog.
I am frustrated that this is the only look of terrorism and that the "war" on terrorism, takes place in a battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan. I read a story today about a little girl. When a man came to attack her and her mom, she shielded her mom from the five or six rounds the man shot at them. What a little hero. Both are still alive as of this blog. This sounds like a news report out of Iraq...one of the many that I ignore because the war does not affect my daily life and is happening thousands of miles away. This could be another article, about why we aren't sacrificing more in a time of war, but this article is about the definition of terrorism. The shooting incident happened in Detroit, not Damascus. It could have happened anywhere...L.A., NYC, Atlanta, or on Main street USA. It is gang violence.
If terrorism comes back to our shores, as it did on 9-11, and were to stay here...I doubt our retaliation would be limited to adding a couple more cops to the streets. I am willing to bet the national guard, army, police force, and every man woman and child would be on the look out. I bet money would not be an issue. So why with gang violence, do we not care? Why isn't gang violence called terrorism? The definition of terrorism is to terrorize people with violence, and sometimes that involves a political purpose, but not always. I think it's pathetic that we are spending billions and now trillions of dollars on a war in Iraq, and we don't spend a fraction of that on preventing our own terrorists that live not just in the big cities, but also the small towns in America.
If I were the President, I would move my war on terrorism from the battlefields of the middle east (where they hate us more than before) and turn it to the streets of America. It is a war. I would actually declare it from the White House steps. And no, not like the joke of a war on drugs...but a real war. I would ask for authorization and send troops into cities where gang violence existed...because it is terrorist violence now. I would amend the Constitution, if need be. I wouldn't stop until they were in jail or dead. Gang violence is not like simple murder. It isn't even revenge murder. Gangs are armies, with the goal of controlling territory. They intimidate residences, government officials, and police to gain this territory. If simple fear doesn't work, then guns will. Yet, we don't treat this like a war, yet they act just like the terrorists in the middle east. They have guns, they blow things up, they kill innocent people, and its all about power and control.
It's time to put an end on gang violence. It's time for our petty leaders in Washington to end this domestic terrorism.
1 comment:
I agree... to a point.
A body is going to be a body whether it was a good person or bad person when it was alive. That is wasteful. A lot of these guys are talented at art and writing (or one or the other) and pretty intelligent, as well.
It would be more proactive to somehow defuse their inner time bomb and force them to look deep inside themselves for the answers that their gangs cannot give. Then, when they leave the life, they can talk to others and convince them to leave as well.
Of course, as time wears on,
all human-oriented groups lose sight of their goals and ultimately disband; the farther from the center of the circle a concept travels, the less power it has over other circles.
History has made this so, and history is due to repeat itself.
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