A vile extremist ideology, irrational hate, easy access to military-grade weapons, and a sick mind -- all came together in the wee hours on this past Sunday morning to unleash the horror that is still unraveling in Orlando. To debate whether one factor was more dominant than the other, whether this was a jihadi attack or a crazy man attack, whether this should be seen as a gun control issue or an Islamist terror issue or a hate crime issue is silly just as it is a waste of time to ponder over whether this should be classified as an attack carried out by the Islamic State (given that the terrorist swore allegiance to the group around the time of the attack) or not (there is no evidence that he had any direct contact with the group).
The Orlando attack was a deadly cocktail of all the above. And action, not finger-pointing or a smug ‘I-told-you-so’ -- is needed on all fronts. At least 50 people are dead and 50 more are injured, making the Orlando attack the deadliest on US soil since 9/11.
At that time, the US Government responded to the attack on the iconic twin towers by launching two wars, and raising Fortress America. The impact was far-reaching and, is felt even today, every time we go through intrusive security procedures at the airport. And every time, we have put up with those troubles by telling ourselves that this is what keeps us safe, that America hasn’t had a major terror attack since 9/11 and that this is how we can win the fight against the bloodthirsty barbarians.
But what happens now that cracks have appeared on Fortress America which is clearly no longer impenetrableIJ like one of the San Bernardino attackers, the Orlando shooter too was a US-born American – not some foreign citizen from a conservative theocratic state in the Middle East with a historical grudge against America. Who will the US Government go after now that the traitors lie withinIJ