Terrorist attack raises the issue to a new level
KAMLOOPS — The bombing at the Manchester Arena last night is a new level of terrorist escalation in my view. At this writing, the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but there has been no evidence presented yet. That may change.
In any event, this is a different kind of terrorist attack. This attack is not just a random device planted on a road somewhere in the Middle East, or an attack on a market place, or the Boston Marathon, or some federal building in Oklahoma. While those attacks are horribly tragic — and they are, make no mistake about that — this attack hit hard at the heartstrings of people everywhere: women and children. The attackers would have certainly known that those attending the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester were largely teenagers, children and their parents, most often their moms. It was targeted for a big effect, near the merchandise area where crowds often flock at the end of a show to pick up a souvenir if they’ve enjoyed the performance. Young kids begging their mom for a shirt, or the kitten ears Grande is famous for.
The youngest victim identified so far is 8, but young or old, the 22 victims and scores injured are victims of a hate crime perpetrated by a group bent on creating fear. And that they have done. And not just in places like Manchester, where security was apparently pretty tight. British security forces have been operating on a high alert level for some time, expecting some sort of attack. But even then, this bomber, or bombers as the case may be, slipped through the net and created havoc.
And the question now is, how does a world already worried about security, react? Do we hide away and not go anywhere? Do we keep our kids from going to any shows? Because of the targeted nature of this attack, it would make any sane parent think twice.