Terrorism at Home

Recently with the elections and political affairs, terrorism has been a huge focal point. With Iraq and Iran and the Afghanistan conflicts that the U.S. is involved in, the talk has come about regarding the war on terrorism. While opinions differ, the main idea is to still fight terrorism. But, there is one problem here. While fighting overseas, have we forgotten about the terrorism that reigns within the borders of our own country? In recent news, activity of the KKK, or Ku Klux Klan, has been reported. A woman who attempted to join was murdered by a leader of the Klan in Louisiana. Her identity is not being released yet, but the suspects have been detained. Now the bigger question here is why is the KKK even running? Why has the United States not shut down the Klan for good? The famous KKK is a Klan that is dedicated to violence and terrorism in the form of racism. The two are one in the same here within the bounds of this group, and also one in the same period. The KKK’s main motive is to destroy Blacks. They seek to have a, "white supremacy", claiming that they are superior. They demonstrate this by acts of violence such as burning homes, crosses, conducting hate crimes, murders (assassinations), terrible slander, anti-black slurs, and even the trafficking of drugs at times. The United States, as she was formed, was formed to be a house of protection for all from tyranny. Our country was built to house the poor, help the hungry, clothe the naked, and offer all men who are all created equal in the Image and likeness of God, their basic rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But let us look around today. With the wars on terrorism going on, is it possible that we have forgotten about the terrorism in our own country? We have been so focused lately on the terrorism outside of the borders. Has the terrorism within grown and does it have the potential to bring this once great nation down on a suicidal plummet? In recent news forms of terrorism on Christians throughout the States has been reported as well. Church Murders as they are called are ever more visible. In various states, churches have had to hire armed guards to guard their worship sites during their services because they have had a number of people killed in attacks. A Catholic Church in New York State reports that during Mass, a gunman entered and shot several people injuring many and killing a few. This is terrorism. It is a direct threat to our national security. But do our leaders recognize this? Have they begun to take the steps to fight the war on terrorism within the boundaries of our own country, or are they too focused on external affairs and thus blinded to internal affairs? While this topic of terrorism is very upfront and in your face, we must constantly remind ourselves and our leaders that terrorism does not simply exist outside of the United States, but also within the United States. We must encourage the end to terrorism and hatred of all sorts. In many cases all of this can be linked to one central topic. Saint Maria Goretti has told us about it many times. Hatred. It kills a man’s heart faster than malaria or any disease. It steals over his soul and he becomes deaf and blind
to any form of love. Mother Teresa also reminded of this when she spoke here during her life time. Along with John Paul The Great, She has warned us that for a nation who kills its own people there will be consequences and there will be trouble, because God never approves of such an atrocity (She spoke on the topic of the sanctity of all human life and Abortion’s out-front denial of the basic rights of citizens and of all people). A nation that murders its own children, she states, cannot be a nation of hope or peace. Violence will overtake a nation that supports violence. We cannot keep killing our own people and our Government cannot keep overlooking the forms of terrorism that have both been ignored and been made legal. We as Americans must rise up in the Name of God and our Country and defend those who are being harmed. We must fight against terrorism in all its forms and work to prevent and stop it within the borders of our own Country. Our lives depend on it, our faith demands it, and we have the duty to do so for the better of our country. Let us join hands in the fight against terrorism in a peaceful manner in the spirit of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, in a way that will be true. We must advocate for the victims of violence and work to stop it at all costs. We must not stand by and allow such evil to take place. We must stop the murders of the people of our country at home before we can help others outside. Remember, one cannot give what they do not have.

-Ian G. Henry Scheil