Terrorist Attack in Manhattan Not a Surprise

Today’s “terrorist” attack in Manhattan has shaken people up. Reportedly, a 29-year old man driving a rental truck and shouting “Allahu Akbar!” mowed down bicyclists, pedestrians, and rammed a school bus with children on it. As this is being written, 8 people have died and 11 have been injured.

Although terror attacks in other countries are unfortunately not uncommon, they are still unusual enough here that people are still surprised by them. Perhaps people would not be quite so surprised if all jihadi attacks were accurately identified and reported by mainstream media, but that is a different discussion.

Sadly, we should have seen this coming. Those who are knowledgeable about Islam and what it requires of its adherents have been educating the alert among us for years. Even those who do not follow the experts, however, should be aware of the rising number of truck attacks in Europe. Even the liberal media has not ignored those.

Some of the less astute readers may assert that this viewpoint equates all Muslims with terror attacks. It does not. That interpretation is either cynical or ignorant, or both. However, it does continue to mean that we need to educate ourselves about what we are facing.

It is disheartening to predict this kind of tragedy. Yet ignoring it, pretending it doesn’t exist, hoping it will go away, is not the answer. Embracing those who have vowed to destroy us is not the answer. Blithely sailing through life as if nothing is changing will not work either. These attacks are going to continue, and unless something changes, America will not be immune.

Hope is not a strategy. We need to face facts, identify the threat, and respond appropriately. Doing so will make our families, loved ones, and communities stronger and more secure.