Apparently, the US is not the only country that is having issues with violence and radicalized Muslims. In the last 2 or 3 months, we have had attacks in France and Denmark. These are countries that were held up as guides for how to deal with growing Muslim populations and communities.
But, the reality is that there is no guide to how to deal with radicalized Islamic buttholes. And, how could you make one? There is nothing that makes the radicalized Muslim look different than the peaceable and law abiding Muslim citizen.
And, there are certainly many more peaceful Islamic citizens all over the world than there are radical terrorists. They are exactly like every other demographic in every country in the world. There is no way to tell which white, Methodist citizen is full of criminal intent. There is no way to tell them apart visually.
There are ways to distinguish them. It requires that other citizens report things that are just not right, or concerning, or odd. Why don't more people do that? I know that often, family is the only group close enough to see the odd, see the transformation. Muslim terrorists, eco terrorists, abortion terrorists, anti government terrorists, cyber terrorists, none of these look different on the surface. But the investigation always highlights the multiple instances that something different was noted by family and friends.
Things that get justified away, excused and ignored, but always end up clearly indicating a break from the normal. There are not other things that explain someone heading to Lybia or Syria to "learn" about Islam. There are not other things that explain someone going away for a few weeks, to learn about radical Christianity. There are not other reasons that explain amassing an arsenal, There are not other reasons that explain explosive diatribes and outbursts at inappropriate times.
I do not know how hard this is for families. But, I do know that it is worse to live through the aftermath of their violent escapades. I liken it to serial killers. All serial killers have family, have people in their lives that know something is wrong. However, it is always worse after the person is found out and investigated. Dahmer's parents struggled to explain that they did not create the monster. However, the course of the investigation showed multiple instances that parents or close family would know are inconsistent with their normal personality.
Here is the US, everyone is allowed due process. There are many appeals, many opportunities to present all the information that demonstrates innocence or coherence. There are no processes by which we can give people their lives back. It sounds very harsh, what I am about to suggest, but used to be how things were.
There are statutes that allow prosecution of persons that have knowledge or suspicion of a crime to be committed, that do not inform authorities. These statutes should be strengthened, and then these charges should be pursued. Copenhagen is in the news because of a shooting in a major city, using weapons that are illegal, hard to find. Obviously the shooter knew what they were doing, and had a well planned escape
That always speaks to me of support systems and roots. That says to me that this was not a transient person that dropped into Copenhagen on Friday, and shoots the place up on Saturday. There are people who know thwwem, and knew them well. They drew off the reserves of family/networks of people. Every one of wh ich potentially saw or understood some change or warning signs.
When that is not reported, or taken seriously, deaths follow. The terrorist that attached on 9/11 had support and networks here . We did not publicly try them. We did not publicly retrace them through the rabbit hole and find the folks that could have seen or understood something that did not get reported.
This is also true of the gangs and other criminal enterprises that plague us all. I would be very sad, and very distraught over it, but I would turn in my own son. Better to be feeling that in the small block of my own family, rather than in the sea of pain in the whole nation. The two Russians that committed the Boston marathon bombing were seen as a problem by their family. The investigations were inadequate before the acts, but the family was only vocal as they tried to distance tthemselves from the boys.
That is the hard part, but we have to figure this out soon. ISIS is very dangerous in regards to attracting Western youth. We need to be cognizant of our children and our family. We owe the world that. We owe our conscience that. We have no other choice, or, rather we have a big choice and we are picking wrong way too often at this point. Very sorry for the people of Copenhagen tonight, and very sorry that some family is about to be ripped apart over things they saw and knew.
They will carry it to their grave. It will be a huge cross to bear. I hope it is ten times worse than I imagine and they do something to speak out, be ther role model.
I love you all
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