Terror is an Important Word

Conservatives have been attacking President Obama over his approach to terrorism and the war on terror.

Among other things, they're attacking his apparent unwillingness to use the words "terrorism," "war on terror," and, especially, "Islamic terrorists."

This unwillingness disturbs me because an important part of any mission is the goal. If you don't know what you're trying to accomplish, you can't even know what resources you need or what steps you must take.

In war, this is especially important. Who are we fighting? Why are we fighting them? Why are they fighting us? Where are they? How do we find them? What kind of weapons will they use? What kind of targets do they seek?

All of these questions and more require that we know exactly who and what we're fighting.

We are at war with a group that has no nation, but they are predominately found in a couple of particular parts of the world. They have a very distinct ideology that is taught in particular parts of the world. Their ideology makes them eager to die for their cause. They make no distinction between soldier and civilian. They see many of their own neighbors as part of the enemy.

They find the majority of their recruits not among the poor but disaffected middle and upper class young adults. They have no common race or nationality; what they share is ideology. Their goal is not land or money or power but the conversion or extermination of "infidels."

Does this describe Nazis or Soviets? Are these Irish terrorists or Latin American revolutionaries? Of course not.

Are we going to go on offense or simply react to their attacks? Can we cut off their supply lines or anticipate their targets?

Everything in this war depends on knowing who the enemy is.

We must name the enemy. Only then can we maintain focus, resist mission creep, and maintain the support of the populace.

Only then can we win.

UN on Terrorism

People will take different positions on the Swiss minaret ban, and that's fine, but the UN human rights chief demonstrated a serious deficiency while criticizing the new law.

The Swiss government, though no fan of the initiative, says the move is "not against Islam or Muslims, but one aimed at improving integration and fighting extremism."

The UN's Navi Pillay says, "These are extraordinary claims when the symbol of one religion is targeted."

Yes — the one religion that is proving difficult to integrate into European societies and is producing terrorists.

Why do liberals have such a difficult time admitting that there is only one religion — and thankfully only one faction in that religion — that is producing international terrorists? For all they accuse conservatives of being warmongers, if we do not properly identify the enemy, we run the risk of putting other groups in the crosshairs.

Or maybe that's the point.

2nd Amendment an Anti-Terror Tool

As Americans began to celebrate God’s blessings on our lives, people on the other side of the world were being killed like targets in a shooting gallery. Many Americans, being Americans, have responded by wondering how best to kill anyone who tries the same thing here.

Many states already permit citizens to carry concealed firearms; is it time for a national call to arm the citizenry? The states have shown it can be handled responsibly. People who have been properly screened, trained, and tested can be a citizen militia. The police cannot be everywhere, even less the army, but if people everywhere are capable of dealing with mad gunmen, incidents here like what occurred in India last week would not have the same loss of life – if they even occurred (who, after all, wants to attack people who are armed?).

In the days of post-9/11 airport security, I have found myself thinking that the problem that day wasn’t that the terrorists had box cutters but that everyone else didn’t. When everyone is unarmed, the guy who sneaks in a steak knife wins the fight. When everyone has a knife, the guy who sneaks in gun will probably win – but the folks with knives will have a much better chance than those without one.

Which leads me to the obvious objection – guns and knives are no use against bombs or falling airplanes. That is absolutely true and absolutely beside the point. There is no way to prepare yourself for every possible scenario, but that shouldn’t prevent you from preparing for all you can.

And if Hamas-style bombings were to be attempted here, there is at least hope that armed citizens might be able to identify and neutralize these people before they are able to detonate a bomb in a mall, school, or church.

Do Christians dare take a life to defend their own? That’s a topic for another time.