Tragedy Strikes Again

Another mass killing in another city in the United States. This time it is LGBTQ community. For a while, everyone will talk about criticizing the intelligence gathering, need to send troops to ground zero in Iraq and Syria, need to ban Muslim entering into the United States, how it is important to keep people of interest on watch to prevent such future attacks, how assault rifles should not be accessible to the terrorists, mentally ill, extremists, etc. Some will cry for a few days and stand in solidarity with the families who have lost their loved ones. They will all have a vigil in each city to demonstrate the show of strength. So many people will line up to give blood for those who are severely injured. After a few days, everyone will forget this tragic event and the life will move on as usual until the next major tragic event happens and terror strikes again.

The pattern of behavior of the average American has become predictable which makes the terrorist operate like they operate in the trading platform. When the fear reaches the resistance level, they hit back again to increase the fear. It doesn’t matter whether the person is activated ISIL operator or a lone-wolf motivated by the propaganda made by ISIL through internet. Keeping the politics aside, it is the Americans who need to be blamed for such atrocious terrorist attacks perpetrated by ISIL for doing nothing after so many lives have been lost.

Let me explain my views and I will leave it to the ILites to comment or criticize or support my views. First of all, the notion that the American leadership will be recognized only when America gets involved voluntarily to help suffering population elsewhere in the world proactively should be dispensed with. We are living in an interdependent world and unilateral decisions will never get the support from the allies unless they are involved in the decision-making process up front. The leadership is not demonstrated but earned by the actions performed by a nation.

There has to be a recognition that the military might of the nations no longer serves as a deterrent for the terrorists as the wars are now fought through internet propaganda, suicide squads killing the innocent civilians, international money laundering, blackmailing through capturing of hostages, financing the terrorism under the pretext of funding the Madrasas, etc. It is building strong international intelligence network that would keep the world safe from terrorist operations not those trivial and symbolic military strikes or spending billions of dollars increasing the military engagements. I am not against providing advanced gadgets and protective gears to those who fight for the nation in the front line to defend the United States, if there was a need to do so. Only when intelligence information is available to continue precision airstrikes, one should involve the air force.

It is time to build pressure to the peace-loving Islamic nations to denounce terrorism openly before the US considers them as allies. Every American should recognize that they are not fighting a war against a religion and it is a war against a set of people with twisted ideology that has nothing to do with true Islamic values. The trash talks such as tightening the immigration not to allow Islamic people into the country, blaming the peace loving Islamic US citizens for harboring terrorism, etc. must stop immediately. In fact, most terrorist attacks are perpetrated not by the immigrants but by a few misguided and radicalized US citizens.

With due respect to the Constitution of the United States along with all amendments to the constitution, it is time to bring changes to the second amendment by bringing some common sense gun laws that would prevent the terrorists accessing assault rifles to gun down innocent civilians. As the President spoke the other day, even those who are in no-fly list due to FBI surveillance are easily able to buy assault rifles without any restrictions. It is not only dangerous to the US citizens but also to the first respondents. It is time for the American citizens to write to the members of the Congress and the Senators to pass a sensible legislation that would reduce such horrible attacks, even if it doesn’t prevent it completely. Ineffective congress is not an option anymore. They can debate pros and cons but must legislate laws in the interest of the country in a bipartisan way as it happened for years.

The unnecessary war in Iraq and arming of the rebels in Libya and Syria created ISIL. Under the pretext of establishing democracy worldwide, the US should stop arming the rebels or anyone for that matter. The US supported Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood to change the regime and they came to power only to be hostile to the United States. Until and unless the US understands the politics in each region, involve other major players in that region, gain support against human right violations, they should stop interfering in the affairs of any country whether it is located in the Mideast or Africa. While it is important to facilitate establishing a separate state of Palestine, their determination aligned with Iran’s interest to wipe Israel from the world map should be dealt with severely but only with the involvement of other Islamic nations.

It is time to revamp the foreign policies instead of continuing the failed policies forever. It is time to build infrastructure, enhance research, encourage immigration, etc. the fundamental principles that enhanced the value of the United States for hundreds of years. It is ridiculous to say that Islamic people should be banned from entering the United States. What such a message from the government would convey to over 3 million Islamic US citizens and residence who are law abiding and/or serving the US law enforcement and military? How would the peace-loving Islamic people all over the world would feel about such atrocious utterances? Such decision will play right into the hands of ISIL which has been trying to convert this war into Islam Vs the United States and other Western allies for a while. Terrorism is evil whether it is perpetrated under the name of one religion or the other and those who perpetrate terrorism against innocent civilians and those who harbor by financing and supporting them should be held accountable for such actions. Addressing the root cause of young people getting recruited by ISIL propaganda and motivated to kill themselves in order to kill innocent victims is the priority since the terrorism got deep rooted in the world. All countries, all religions, all races, and people of all categories must be united to fight this demon.

 

Dear MalStorm,

Thank you for your first response. You are right on the money about DOA for the changes to the Second Amendment. At least, there has to be mechanism to notify FBI, if someone who had been in FBI Surveillance or currently in FBI Surveillance buys AR-15. In case of Orlando, the guy bought it 12 days back and 12 days is enough notice to watch the actions of this terrorist. I have no doubt NRA is very powerful for everyone to watch 30+ innocent children lay down their lives and do nothing to change the Second Amendment. Where is the knowledge that all these bill of rights are introduced for the well-being of the Americans when law-enforcement department was not up to speed? Now, we have efficient law enforcement machinery and intelligence department. If we need to still hang on to the Second Amendment in its present form without any changes and mistrust the law enforcement and intelligence, may be, we have to equip all the schools, offices, place of worship, etc. with AR-15 and train the children, coworkers and Church goers to defend themselves. We can convert every US citizen as law enforcement officer. It would feel like we live in the 1st century and not 21st century.

Viswa

 

Dear Smt. Jayasala:

Your response presented an excellent understanding of the struggle the world go through due to unsustainable laws, hand-tied but efficient intelligence wing, the nature of terrorist organizations and their evil execution style, use of twisted religious ideology to kill innocent civilians, misinformed hatred against the entire religion for the act of handful of terrorists, etc.

It is time for the Islamic nations to voice their opinion against such atrocious terrorism and stand united with the rest of the world in combating them by contributing resources be it intelligence, human or financial. They have to stop funding the radical Islam under the pretext of funding the religious teachings. The Western civilization should make one voice that it is not a fight against a religion but against a handful of misinformed terrorists.

The governments should understand that the military strength alone will not help combat terrorism and it has to be combination of stopping the propaganda of the terrorists organizations, radicalizing the young minds into suicide missions, gathering and sharing intelligence in a coherent fashion, coordinating efforts of gathering intelligence by all governments to prevent such attack instead of making individual efforts.

The world should understand all lives are precious no matter where the terrorism results in loss of life. Politics has no role to play in combating terrorism and instead of substantial effort being made to utilize actions taken to make political gains, it is time to unify efforts to combat terrorism. Terrorism is an evil for the entire world and the people killed are from all religions whether they are men or women.

Viswa

 

Dear Satchi,

They are all conspiracy theories and I am convinced that they are baseless and there is no truth in any of those theories. People are dead against any war now and it is hard for any party to convince them to go to war with any country. All that the American people want is to remain safe in the US. There is enough mechanism to safeguard those who travel, if they follow the guidelines of travel for the US citizens.

Viswa

 

Dear KCB,

Well said. The religion doesn't suggest to kill anyone. These are misguided people with twisted ideology. I join you in my prayers for those innocent people who lost their lives or battling to live in the hospital.

Viswa