‘Terrorism’ isn’t just a bad guy with a gun

‘Terrorism’ isn’t just a bad guy with a gun

By Rob French “Active Shooter,” a phrase that has become all too familiar these days.

However, we cannot just focus on an active fluid scenario involving a gun and only a gun. These days there are many ways to cause mass chaos besides pulling the trigger. 9/11 happened with box cutters, the countless knife attacks that take place in Europe. The car used to kill 4 people at the Oklahoma State Homecoming Parade, or the recent London attack that took the life of one American. We are seeing the use of vehicles to cause destruction and chaos with the intent to take a human life, more and more. Now what can we do as a society or what can you do as a witness, a bystander seeing one of these horrific tragedies take place? Only answer is to stay vigilant.

Whether we are fighting the spread of ISIS ideology overseas and on the internet or trying to curb the local violence in our towns. We cannot sit back and think that the first responders are going to take care of it all.

Once they are involved it is too late, the incident has already taken place. What others do to us that we consider evil they do not, they consider it good and just.

Anyone anywhere can travel around the world to a different place, a different cultural, and do evil on others. I have this discussion with some of my buddies who are still in the military. We cannot completely defeat an ideology with bombs and bullets just like we cannot affect social change with handcuffs.

International defense is what we have the government for, social change is our responsibility as citizens of our communities. Realizing that our locally elected officials are put there by us. To bring the focus locally, in our communities, is to ensure that the next generation is set up for success when it comes to facing life's challenges head on. That goes from family involvement to community involvement. Having laws in place that protect the youth and not ones that will hinder their ability to have a life, with a teenage mistake.

Having diversion programs for those in need, wether that be drugs or non-violent crimes. Having law enforcement officers trained in discretion and motivated to do what they signed up to do, serve the community.

Understanding crime has no jurisdiction and in a small community like Crittenden County, a county problem very well may mean a city problem. We as citizens are the ones that are going to affect change and ensure our officials are keeping us safe.

Rob French offers an expert’s view on home, community and personal safety.

He has an extensive background in related fields and is currently serving as a Special Weapons and Tactics instructor for Tier 1 Group in Crawfordsville.

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