We are at war. The Islamic extremist terrorists do not care that Congress has not formally declared war; they are waging war against us thereby thrusting us into a state of war whether we formally declare it or not.
The terrorists are not at war with Republicans or Democrats here in America, or conservatives or liberals, or men or women, or uniformed or non uniformed personnel. They are at war with us as a people. And unless we come together as Americans, and put divisive political correctness and agendas aside, they will win.
The focus on this piece is not how to defeat the Islamic extremist terrorists globally, but rather how I believe we can defend our loved ones and ourselves here at home, and minimize the threat and the severity of any future attack.
We just suffered the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. Two Islamic extremist terrorist combatants were killed in the streets of America. The United States military was not, nor should they have been, the initial responders to the attack. American law enforcement was the responding force in San Bernardino, California. They will also be the responding force if and when we are attacked on U.S. soil again.
There are three major issues within America right now that are going to continue to severely limit the ability to successfully respond to an attack, and will enable the attacks to continue and to be more deadly: the push for gun control, the degradation of public trust in, and the subsequent "demilitarization" of, American law enforcement, and political correctness.
The utilization of tragedies to push a gun control agenda is a despicable tactic that fails to examine root causes of the tragedies, and also fails to address how innocent victims caught in the incident can immediately defend themselves. Those who seek to do evil will do so without regard for law.
The latest attack on America in San Bernardino is a harsh example of that reality. The terrorists utilized modified weapons in violation of California law. They utilized high capacity magazines in violation of California law. They brought weapons into a public building in violation of California law. They committed rapid mass murder in a terror attack in violation of California and United States law.
"Tough" gun laws degrade the ability of citizens to defend themselves and takes away the ability for a citizen to stop an attack in the early stages, thus saving lives. If a person or persons who were attacked in San Bernardino had been armed, this attack could have ended much sooner and the number of victims reduced.
As Americans, we the people must realize that we are the first line of defense within our borders. We, the people, not law enforcement, and not the military. Currently, many do not. This begins with the failure to clearly recognize and reinforce the fact that the people themselves are the informal militia of this country with the responsibility to protect it from within.
A properly armed populace is a national security necessity and the true first line of defense against those who wage war on us within our borders, as well as a natural right for self defense.
The social trend to "demilitarize" American law enforcement and the undermining of the public trust in our nation's police is the second issue that leaves us more vulnerable to violent attack. Bad cops do exist, but they are the exception. Bad cops should never be tolerated by the public or by their peers. And they are not.
The vast majority of law enforcement officers are men and women of honor who risk their lives every day to protect and serve the people within the communities they serve. The current movement and subsequent media coverage that allows law enforcement to be painted with a broad brush demonizes them as a whole and has severely degraded not only the public trust, but the will and the ability of officers to perform their duties effectively.
Proactive law enforcement has declined in many areas, and with that, the likelihood of someone bent on doing evil being discovered before they have a chance to execute their plan. Officers are reluctant to make that traffic stop, or inquire further, for fear of being branded a "racist" or, if they are forced to use deadly force, a "murderer."
Many now call for the "demilitarization" of law enforcement; among them the President himself.
Recently, the federal government has suspended a program that allowed law enforcement to receive surplus military vehicles and equipment, such as armored vehicles. Not tanks, but armored vehicles that provide ballistic protection and are defensive in nature. These vehicles not only give officers the ability to respond to a violent attack, but also the ability to evacuate victims while under fire.
Smaller jurisdictions do not have the budget to purchase these vehicles, and with the program being suspended and the vehicles being repossessed by the federal government, the citizens and officers in these jurisdictions are put at greater risk. These vehicles are not used on traffic stops. They are not used as patrol vehicles. They are utilized in extreme or very high risk situations. A terror attack with multiple well armed attackers and improvised explosive devices is certainly one of those situations.
We need our men and women in blue to be properly organized, trained, and equipped to rapidly respond to and engage the threats to rapidly end an attack. They also need the support of the community to encourage and stand behind them in this endeavor.
Political correctness has divided and weakened us as a people, and has caused citizens to fail to take action out of fear of being labeled racist at a minimum, or investigated by the government. The federal government has touted the "if you see something, say something" narrative.
In the current political correct environment, how many will actually do so?
In September of this year, a 14 year old Muslim kid brought a suspicious device to school that turned out to be a clock. It was not a traditional clock, and looked like a suspicious device. A faculty member saw something, the device, and said something, resulting in a law enforcement response. The device did look like a bomb.
School officials and law enforcement did what they were supposed to do in order to protect all the other children in their care. No charges were filed and the device was found to be a clock.
Now, the kid is demanding $15 million from the school district, those who acted properly are being labeled as racists, and the federal government is investigating. The investigation was announced by the United States Attorney General one day after the San Bernardino attack.
Who would say something if they saw something with this kind of reaction?
Political correctness has also prevented the proper identification of the enemy who is at war with us; violent Islamic extremists. This is important because if we cannot clearly identify the enemy, how can we fight and defeat the enemy?
If we, as Americans, cannot even be united in identifying those at war with us, we will never be united in the fight. We cannot win this war being so deeply divided.
Clearly these three things that I have discussed briefly are not the only issues related to the war we are currently fighting. They are things we can do as Americans to reduce the effectiveness of the terrorists, and increase our chance of survival and victory.
We the people are the informal militia and the primary force within our borders to respond to attack.
We must support our law enforcement and give them the trust and the tools to do their job, which includes responding to terror attacks on U.S. soil.
We must demand that rampant political correctness ceases, so that citizens can feel secure in reporting suspicious activity without fear of being branded a "racist" or some other offensive term.
We are at war, and it is time we conduct ourselves as though we are as outlined above.
Sack Heads Clint is the Co-owner of SHR Media and the Co-Host of the Sack Heads Radio Show. Listen Live every Wednesday night at 8 pm PST at www.shrmedia.com.
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