With the anniversary of September 11th approaching I feel I speak for several people when I comment about concerns regarding our national security. I haven’t been overly impressed with how we are combating terrorism, on top of that the failed foreign policy along with open borders is reason enough to be alarmed.
Team effort
Can we afford to all just sit back and let the government take care of things, truthfully I don’t think so, I think it is reasonable to be alarmed and take precautions. Am I worried about my personal safety, not really. What I am worried about is an attack against a soft target and if we were really being honest I would be worried about a VBEID. While a VBIED is more challenging than just illegally crossing our borders armed to the teeth it is not outside the realm of possibility. I should emphatically state I have no evidence to support my views. I am simply taking into consideration the ineptitude of our current administration, current situation on a global scale along with a gut feeling.
Fortune favors the bold
I would rather be prepared than look back and play the blame game. So, with that being said what can we do as a community. Well, it is difficult to provide folks with specific advise, but I can tell you what a little birdie told me and that was being present at some of these soft targets, whether they be schools, hospitals or malls. If I have a loved one at one of those locations I would probably focus my efforts there first.
Pay attention
I see this as a multilevel approach, observation, reporting and action. Situational awareness is key, put yourself in a location where you can observe a large area. Of course, it goes without saying you should avoid being a distraction or disturbance, but simply keeping your eyes open for suspicious activity is the first and really important step. Just like in a personal defensive situation if you are not paying attention it makes it really hard to take action or defend. All we are talking about here is just being heads up and looking for something out of place, out of the ordinary or just plain wrong.
SALUTE Report
The next step if you pick up on something would be to report it to the proper authorities. If it is suspicious activity then calling the local law enforcement’s non-emergency line to report the activity is probably the best option. If it is an EMERGENCY then call 911 immediately, don’t delay, do it right away. Here are some guidelines on reporting suspicious activity to the authorities from the Department of Homeland Security. Just remember; size, activity, location, uniform, time and equipment if all else fails
Playing for keeps
The truth of the matter is if terrorist organizations going to commit an act of terrorism on our home soil the opportunity to observe them during their pre-mission intelligence gathering is long past. They would have conducted multiple intelligence gathering activities and by now have a fairly detailed and possibly rehearsed plan. They are not going to just “wing it” in other words. So, the chances of you picking up on suspicious activity may quickly change to observing a terrorist attack. There will probably be very little warning realistically. Even if there is extra security at these locations they would have anticipated that tactic and planned accordingly. What they probably wouldn’t have anticipated on is a legally armed citizen.
What is your profession
I realize this is a questionable discussion, but who of us could actually sit by and watch a terrorist attack unfold right before our very eyes. I know there are some in this country that could, that would make a call to the authorities and I 100% agree about notifying them. However, the reality of an event like this is we would be in a reactionary mode and many innocent lives will be lost in the process. The key to reducing the number of innocent lives is disrupting their plans enough to allow responding tactical elements the opportunity to get in the fight. It is really that simple, if you can force them to start thinking about their own safety it makes it hard for them to execute their plan.
Sure, some will criticize my views, to them I have this to say…what is your profession?
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke
