Reply to letter written by Joan Moss:
Shame on you, Joan Moss! Rob Brown has worked tirelessly for District 5 as well as the rest of the county, especially Anderson Springs. As victims of the Valley Wildfire, we truly appreciate everything he has done for us.
Rob’s personal business should be just that — personal!
Joan Clay and Kathy Regalado, Anderson Springs
Issue a declaration
For the past century radical Islam has been waging war on the West. Yet the West has never responded with a formal Declaration of War. Even 9/11, with as many victims as Pearl Harbor, failed to produce such a document. Maybe it’s time for a change.
Our Constitution specifies that only the Congress may originate a Declaration of War, and leaves it to that body to determine when and how this should happen. Considering the outrages perpetrated by terror groups there should be no problem detailing motives for producing such a Declaration, and we, their constituents, should ask them to do so. Just as in World War II other civilized nations would be encouraged to join. Most of them also field Special Military Forces — often trained by the U.S. — which would be the front-line troops in anti-terror actions. These would operate under a unified field command, again just as in World War II. A major advantage of such a collation would be to generate substantial revenues to fund the purchase of needed intelligence, along with general operational expenses.
For the U.S. to simply continue to clean up after every terrorist attack — and there will be others — or exact retribution from the air, is futile. Terrorists are cancers and they must be dug out and destroyed and one of the best ways would be to rally around an old-fashioned but effective concept — the formal, Declaration of War.
Connel Murray, Kelseyville
Identifying threats
Several months ago I was the guest on “call-in” radio program on KPFZ where the subject was being alert to a possible terrorist attack. A man called in and accused me of being a fear monger. He stated that nothing like that could ever occur here in Lake County. He was wrong.
The point of terrorism is just that, to create fear within a populous. That is why terrorist most often target “soft targets,” — restaurants, shopping centers and schools instead of military facilities. It is also why they often strike where people would not expect an attack. No place is safe.
ISIS has developed sophisticated ways of influencing young people. They have made good use of the social media outlets. They have so many sources, Twitter, etc., that it is impossible for law enforcement and the intelligence authorities to stay ahead of them. ISIS has been successful in recruiting in excess of 30,000 young people to come join them. An alarming number of them have come from Europe. ISIS is actively recruiting, through the Internet, young people to mount “lone wolf” attacks in their home towns. ISIS targets anyone with an Islamic name. They appeal to individuals who are disenchanted, are seeking adventure or 15 minutes of fame, or are pathologic. They are finding willing subjects.
None of this means we must live in constant fear. Rather, it means we should all be aware of the warning signs. In light of the recent stabbings at the college in Merced, where thankfully, all four knifing victims have survived, this is a good time to review some of the warning signs.
Faisal Mohammad was an 18 year old student at the college. He was shot and killed by campus police. Authorities first denied any terrorist connection. They stated it was a revenge attack against the students in his study group. Those students had removed him from the group. However, a search of his dorm room revealed, among other things, an ISIS flag. Faisal fit the profile. He was a loner. He almost never engaged people in conversation. He did not fit in with his peers or his study group.
What are the warning signs that a person may planning an attack? So far, the preponderance have been young men. However, many have been adults probably into their 40s or beyond. There is no reason to exclude the possibility of a young woman being an attacker. Additionally, not all attacks are terrorist related, but they are no less lethal. Parents, teachers and acquaintances should be concerned if some or all of the following signs are present. The individual is a loner who avoids social contact. Their grades are poor in school. They have no girlfriend, or boyfriend, as the case may be. They have no plans for the future and may exhibit a sense of hopelessness about their future. They have no job or the prospects of finding one. They are depressed. They take an unusual interest in violence or glorify violence. They are prone to emotional outbursts. They feel everyone and the world is against them. They expound radical or irrational political views. They exhibit racial or religious prejudices. They suddenly become very religious.
Some young people exhibit some of these signs and it is the tendency for adults to attribute those signs to, “Oh, he’s just being a moody teenager.” That is a big mistake. Even though that young person may never commit or contemplate a violent act, that is an individual in trouble and intervention by parents or professionals is vital.
Peter MacRae, Lakeport
