Posted on 04/16/2013 2:49:55 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Make no mistake about it, yesterday’s bombing in Boston was a cowardly terrorist act. We don’t know yet who is responsible; all we know is that someone, or some group, targeted innocent civilians at an iconic American sporting event. Without getting into complex discussions about definitions, this is terrorism, plain and simple.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those killed or injured near the marathon finish line on Boylston Street. Their prayers, and those of their family and friends, are our prayers. And to those who ran toward the explosions to aid the wounded — runners, spectators, first responders, security officers, etc. — we commend your bravery and resiliancy. You represent the best of the American spirit.
The next question naturally becomes: Who did this? And, for now, that is precisely where the conversation should stay. Investigators are hard at work, and hopefully soon we’ll know who was responsible. Once we know who committed this dastardly act, it’s then time to hold that person, or those people, accountable. That could mean the domestic justice system, an international manhunt, targeted military action, or anything in between. It could take hours, days, or weeks. But once we identify those responsible, our response, tailored to the perpetrator(s), should be strong, swift, and strategic. How we respond will send important signals to anyone who wishes our people harm.
What we should not do is start asking “why?” It’s not the time to try to “understand” why someone would intentionally target innocent civilians at a sporting event. Of course the perpetrators of a bombing like this have motives — ideological, political, religious, or otherwise — but those are of no consequence right now. We’ll all eventually find out why they did what they did, yet there will not be a moment where we say “Ah ha, now I know why they planted bombs at the Boston marathon . . . sounds reasonable.” Why the attacker killed innocent civilians matters very little right now.
That’s why I winced a bit while watching the president speak last night. His words were somber and appropriate, but missed in two subtle ways. First, the president did not use the word “terror” or “terrorism.” While I don’t (yet) fully begrudge the president for this, it would have been nice to hear him acknowledge what we all know (and which the White House quickly clarified, calling it “an act of terror”). Second, and more subtly, the president immediately coupled the “who?” with the “why?” when he said:
"We still do not know who did this or why. And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But make no mistake — we will get to the bottom of this. And we will find out who did this; we’ll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice."
I am not casting aspersions on the president. At this critical moment, we stand fully united with him and those in Boston (where I am proud to currently hang my hat). But it’s also important that we don’t get distracted by the “why” and stay focused on finding, and bringing to justice, the “who.”
Everything I needed to know about who was learned on September 11th
Because Jihad hasn't been terminated, with prejudice.
RE: Everything I needed to know about who was learned on September 11th
What about Oklahoma City?
Though “why” is interesting in some cases, I agree that WHO is the critical component.
There is pretty good evidence there were Middle Easterners involved in that one, too.
“Why” is an easy question. It is the same reason why an evil thug murdered 20 children and 7 adults at an elementary school, why an evil thug murdered more than a dozen people at the theater in Aurora, and why a group of terrorists murdered 3,000 people at the World Trade Center. The why is because they are pure evil. The solution is to kill them or lock them and those like them up forever. We don’t need to understand evil, nor will decent people ever understand such people (Obama might understand, but I’m talking about people on our side in this battle).
“Who” is a question that will also be answered eventually. We may have suspicions or a limited number of choices, but the truth will come out soon enough. The key question though is what we will do about it. If we respond in a way that rewards the terrorists, then we will experience more similar attacks and lose more of our children to evil. If we respond in a way that makes it unprofitable to plan and organize these attacks, then there will be fewer masterminds putting these attacks together for the thugs who carry them out. I’d like to be optimistic, but that decision is in Obama’s hands.
A lot of the why can be traced to the current occupant of the White House, just like a lot of the why for 9/11 could be traced to the occupant of the White House when Al-Qaeda was able to plan and rehearse their evil acts when Clinton and his cohorts refused to acknowledge that, terrorism and terrorists are real, and they’re out to get us, anyway they can.
So, of course, we do need to know who did the Boston attacks, but, not looking at the why is just going to invite more of the same terrorism.
To ask why is to give credence to evil and to the insane. That’s what libs do because they want to understand the insane, probably because they ARE insane and they know it. I don’t care why. I just care who. Find them and kill them. That’s all that matters.
Who is John Doe #2?
‘Some men set the whole earth on fire just to watch it burn’
The reason for Obama’s “why” is that if a Muslim is fingered, then he will be excused due to having to deal with poverty, etc, etc.
As an aside ( but related to this bombing ), has the culprit of the Atlanta Olympic Centennial Park bombing in 1996 ever been captured?
The originally fingered the hapless Richard Jewell but let him go eventually.
If I remember correctly, they eventually implicated Eric Robert Rudolph.
Eric Rudolph (spit) pled guilty.
The definition of “hapless” is “unfortunate”. The fact that Richard Jewell found the bomb, alerted police, and helped get many out of danger is a reason to be highly fortunate that he was there that day. RIP Mr. Jewell.
Padilla.
I couldn't care less about the why. I'm not into hugs and kumbaya and couldn't care less about the why. It's high to time quit molly coddling these terrorists like Hasan and stop sending our hard earned money to commie countries.
While making a good and obvious point, (look to the “who”, not the “why”) he still is pretty tepid in the way he expresses it. He does point out Obama’s re$lexive coupling o$ who and why, he ends with the lame “I’m not trying to cast aspersions on the President”.
Well, I AM casting aspersions. His introduction o$ “why” intentionally opens a door to another decade o$ pointless,
deliberately evasive, and counterproductive pseudo-dialogue
which is only designed to save the skins o$ the wannabe political players like CAIR and the now temporarily-quieted-down loudmouth Mosque radicals in most major US cities.
One thing is certain-—this Administration will NEVER see itsel$ as remotely responsible on any level $or this horrendous event: that’s why they made sure to send out the surrogates to “explain” what it “could be”, all in the service, to use another Obama phrase, o$ “not jumping to conclusions”.
Oh, someone please post that clip of Hitlery Clinton saying (about the Bengazi attack) “Oh, what does it matter now?”
When we respond to them and they start crying, we’ll have to point that out. “We didn’t start the fire”.
Of course. Nevermond that almost every moslem terrorist has come from a background of wealth and privilege back in the moslem world. All attend elite schools, travel the world, and have family money. The broke ones are laughed at.
The shoe bomber is an example.
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