Terrorism and Public Safety

Yesterday, London suffered its worst attack since World War II when terrorists set off multiple bombs in their subways (what the British call the "tube" or "tunnel") and on one double-decker bus. As a result, at least 4 dozen lives were lost and hundreds more were injured.

Given the magnitude of the situation, I commend London's people for effectively dealing with the situation in their "stiff upper lip" format and pulling together as a people. Even some foreigners, such as one visiting EMT from New Jersey, rolled up their sleeves to help their fellow human beings. As they had done during World War II, the British again proved to the world that they can and they will exhibit the best of humanity in the face of humanity's worst. God bless the British and please keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

I pray that British authorities will soon capture and swiftly punish those cowards who prey on innocent civilians. People who commit terrorist acts, be they Al-Qaeda, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), or even our most recent home-grown terrorists, Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols, and Eric Robert Rudolph, deserve no sympathy whatsover and we, as a society, must send a perfectly clear message that we will not capitulate.

Your garden-variety terrorist would attempt to justify their actions by calling themselves "freedom fighters", yet they are afraid to go face-to-face with their opponent. Some such as Al-Qaeda and the KKK claim to be fighting in the name of God and their respective peoples. Others such as McVeigh and Nichols claim that they are fighting a corrupt government. Rudolph justifed his acts of terror by claiming to be "pro-life".

How can you be for God or pro-life if you think that killing and maiming others is okay so long as you think your cause is noble? In the Ten Commandments, one of them is "thou shalt not kill", and that means both the born and unborn. Ultimately, God will judge our actions and He will act with His perfect justice. It is not up to me to determine what He will or won't do to someone. As Jesus said to Him while dying on the cross, "Not my will... but thy will be done."

Finally, it is unfortunate when terrorists take advantage of free societies to perpetrate their cowardly acts. We, as free people, though, must take responsiblity for our own safety. Here are some tips:

- If you see someone or something suspicious, be it in your neighborhood, your office, or other public places (stores, buses, trains, etc.), report it to the police ASAP. In other words, be aware of your surroundings.

- Don't take bags or packages from strangers at airports or other public transportation stations, no matter what they may say to you. Chances are, they may contain bombs, guns, or even drugs. If you get caught with such bags or packages, then you will be the one taking the heat from the police.

- When you are out-of-town, try not to look too much like an "out-of-towner". For example, if you are in another town for a convention, don't wear your convention badges or other such items when you leave the facility. Local criminals love to prey on "out-of-towners", because they see them as "easy pickins".

- If someone comes up to you at a gas station or in a parking lot claiming that they are "stranded" and need for you to give them a lift... don't. If they are truly stranded, then they usually can contact family, friends, local authorities, or aid groups such as The Salvation Army. Otherwise, why would they be asking you? I've had a few guys try to pull this trick on me and I just tell them "sorry" and go on my way.

- Most of all, don't go around paranoid, because that would mean that the cowards win. You only have one life to live, so live it as best as you can.

Thanks for visiting, have a great weekend, and please visit again.