A monster named Muhammad Abdulazeez murdered five servicemen last week. May light perpetual shine upon them.
Was this a terrorist attack? Terrorism is “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.” If Abdulazeez had a larger socio-political goal in mind (like starting a race war or a jihad) then it was terrorism. Like most terrorism, the attack was a stupid as it was vicious because those who were murdered, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, and Navy Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Randall Smith (who died on July 18 from wounds sustained during the shooting), had no power to change US governmental policy.
However, it appears to be that drugs and bipolar disorder motivated the attack more than a political aim. Yes, Abdulazeez was “unhappy with the US government”, but that seems to just be the veneer for his desire to commit violence. Just like “Christians” who have murdered 2 Las Vegas police officers and a state trooper in Pennsylvania and tried to murder a police officer in Georgia in the last couple of years because they were anti-government extremists. Anti-government extremism is the #1 motivation for lone wolf terrorist attacks, especially against the police.
Abdulazeez is being called a ‘lone wolf’, because he had no ties to a larger terrorist group. His uncle is being investigated, but so far nothing has come up. If it turns out Abdulazeez did have ties to a terrorist organization, then the media will return to frenzy mode. For right now, the coverage is thorough, but it isn’t one every headline. The Lone Wolf Terrorist has struck so many times, America has almost gone numb from shock and pain.
Part of the problem is that Lone Wolf Terrorism is hard to address. There are no good bombing targets. There is no where to send the troops to defend the country. These dirtbags can pop up anywhere, from any group, at any time, for any reason. They can be your neighbor. They seem completely normal until they ‘snap’ and start a murder spree. They are more likely to go after targets they feel ‘represent’ the ‘bad guys’, be it the police or military or first responders or Muslims or Christians or Jews or abortion providers or even ‘women’ as a whole. The amorphous nature of the enemy makes it feel like there is nothing that can be done.
If it is even suggested that perhaps Joe Average doesn’t need a AK-47-style assault weapon with a 30-round magazine like a the one Abdulazeez used to murder 5 servicemen, or the Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle that Adam Lanza used to slaughter teachers and little kids at Sandy Hook, or the Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round drum magazine that James Eagan Holmes used to murder a dozen people in Aurora, Colorado, then one is a liberal lefty hippy silly-billy who hate the US Constitution and the 2nd Amendment.
Look, there is no way to stop Lone Wolves. They will exist, and they will murder. If they cannot get an AK-47 then they will use handguns or bombs or knives. However, if they cannot get access to AK-47 then there is a limit on how many people they can murder at one time. Yes, it is still very bad when a monster murders even one person, but it is worse when the monster can murder dozens of first graders in one go.
Australia banned self-loading centerfire rifles after the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre and they haven’t had a mass shooting lone wolf style killing spree since, even though the populace CAN by handguns and shotguns. The UK passed some of the strictest gun control laws in the world after the 1996 Dunblane School Massacre and not only have lone wolf terrorists not been able to shoot dozens in one go, the UK has the lowest homicide rate by gun in the world. Everyone in Switzerland has guns, including military style assault rifles, but everyone there is trained with firearms during mandatory military service and it is hard as hell to get the ammo. The Swiss populace is also cushioned by a social safety net and mental health access that the USA does not have.
Lone Wolf Terrorists are not going to disappear. All we could do is try to limit the number of people the monsters kill … and we cannot even do that thanks to hysterical fears within the American Gun Culture.
I am just heartsick.