By Ric Castagna, guest columnist | A day after another act of terrorism perpetrated by Islamic terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State and it’s back to business as usual, at least here in the United States. Most every talking head on the news channels is referring to the “tragedy” in Brussels and how life will rebuild and go on. Now, back to the Presidential campaign coverage, already in progress.
“Tragedy.” It’s an interesting choice of words to describe the event which took place overseas. The definition of tragedy (“an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural disaster,” according to Oxford Dictionaries) certainly could be used to describe the senseless killing of more than 30 people doing nothing more than going about their daily lives. Some of the synonyms for tragedy include disaster, catastrophe, mishap and blow.
You could call this a disaster — but somehow it doesn’t seem to be on par with a hurricane, flood, earthquake or volcanic eruption. How about a catastrophe? Certainly, the loss of more than 30 people is a catastrophic loss to their families. However “catastrophe” still doesn’t seem to appropriately describe the event. Even though “disaster” and “catastrophe” are “heavier” words than tragedy, the media at large seem to have settled on the least impactful word to describe this act of terror.
Examining the English language, several more apropos words emerge, my personal favorite being “atrocity.” Atrocity: “An extreme wicked or cruel act, typically one involving physical violence or injury.” Even the synonyms for “atrocity” befit the act more appropriately including abomination, barbarity, savagery and evil, among others.
The terrorism as it currently exists in this world is an atrocity, perpetrated primarily by the radical followers of Islam. Radical Islamic terrorists have declared war on innocent people around the world. Their acts of atrocity are taking lives on a regular basis, turning residential streets, theaters and transit stations into impromptu battlefields.
It’s time to stop passing the sugar. Perhaps if we recognize these events as the atrocities which they truly are, instead of the minimizing description of tragedy, we will be angered enough to fight back. No person in a civilized society should have to worry about their lives being interrupted or ended by the atrocities perpetrated by radical Islamic terrorists.
Individual countries are sovereign and steeped in tradition, some dating back many hundreds of years. These countries were formed by any number of mechanisms, including military conquest, but they were formed to share commonalities such as language, form of government and even religion. Protecting the citizenry is the primary responsibility of any government. By allowing the mass entry of people with unknown backgrounds and intentions, without any clear allegiance to the country they are entering, is foolhardy on the part of the government.
Leaders around the world need to recognize the potential threats that are literally lined up at the borders — and to a large degree, already across the border and admitted into the society at large. This is a time for careful steps forward, lest we all find ourselves walking the impromptu battlefields which were once thriving cities and countries around the world.
Ric Castagna is an Internet professional who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., and Aiken, S.C. Have a comment? Send to feedback@statehousereport.com.
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