When Will It End?

Another day, another terror attack. I got the alert shortly before going to bed last night that a truck had run through a crowd at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France. I'm not sure at this point that I even wonder if things are terror attacks anymore. I think I've come to just assume that unless the facts prove differently, but they rarely do. It's just the sad world that we live in today. A world that is being rattled over and over all over in the name of radical Islam.

Imagine going to a 4th of July celebration in your city, you just want to enjoy the nice summer weather and celebrate your country's independence. Enjoy a day off with your family to celebrate this joyous national holiday, when all of a sudden a truck loaded with all kinds of explosives driven by a man who was known to be violent to the police bombards through the crowd killing dozens of innocents. That's exactly what happened in Nice.

The reports are brutal to read and even worse to try to imagine, and world leaders are sending their thoughts to France from all over the world, many realizing something must be done about ISIS, who has yet to officially be named the perpetrator, but the US anti-terrorism office has good evidence pointing to the terror group being responsible as well as Twitter pages in association with the group being celebratory after the attack and using the hashtag Nice. These attacks send the world reeling almost weekly in new areas every time, but France has had the misfortune of being targeted twice in only 8 months, with French President Hollande extending the state of emergency from the attack in November. Some of the quotes from the world leaders are as follows:

"An attack on France, therefore, is an attack on the entire free world." - German president Gauck

"Those who carried out this brutal incident have nothing to do with humanity. In essence these barbarians have no place in this world or should they have." - Turkish president Recep Erdogan

"Terrorism can strike anywhere and must be fought everywhere... fight this evil until it is defeated." -Israeli prime minister Netanyahu

'"[It] runs counter to all religious teachings and humanitarian values."- Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

"Makes it imperative for everyone to work together decisively and without hesitation to counter terrorism in all its forms." -Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayad Al Nahyan

and my favorite is from Russian President Vladimir Putin saying that terrorism can only be defeated if "all civilized mankind pulls efforts together" and promising to work closely with France and other countries willing to fight the good fight against global terrorism.

We realize this is a global problem and that as much as our current president would like to just ignore it and hope for the best, we can't. We have to do more and we have to do it soon before more of the world falls to ISIS. Even though they face harsh opposition in Syria and Iraq, they are still amping up the attacks globally and it scares me to know that at any given time, while I'm doing any normal, everyday thing I could be a victim to a terror attack, but it's the world we live in today. Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the Chattanooga shooting, but I feel no safer today than I did after that. Mostly because our government can't even admit that the attack one year ago that killed 5 military men was a terrorist attack.

I remember everything about that day. I had a stats exam in my summer class, and I had just finished up my morning swim lessons at the pool. Like every other day, I dried off and changed, but as I walked in the office my boss told me there was an active shooter situation not far from us, but that campus wasn't on lock-down because it was down the highway. I remember the knot in my stomach and the paranoia I had as I walked to class and the rest of the day, even long after the situation was safe. It broke my heart and the community, but we got through it; just like San Bernadino; just like Orlando; and just like Nice will, and France will again. But the thing is that we shouldn't have to get through it because it shouldn't be happening. If it takes a war then so be it, but this is a global matter just like it was in the 1910s and late 30s and 40s. We need to do more so we can prevent more attacks like Brussels, Paris, Nice, Chattanooga, Orlando, and whatever the next will be because if this passes with no further action just like the rest there will be a next. And the next president needs to be ready to deal with terrorism for real.

God bless Nice and the world,
B

1776

The 4th of July. 240 years ago (tomorrow actually) we became our own country, and in my opinion along the road we have become the greatest country along the way. Maybe less so now, but at times, not so long ago, we were by far the greatest country on Earth. I'm one of the proudest Americans you will ever meet, but at times like this I can't help but wonder how we have become what we are. We are more divided than we have been in decades, and it hurts my heart because 240 years ago we all had a common goal: unite together to form a nation. A nation that was something new, not a monarchy, but a democracy. A place where the people are heard and the government didn't overstep too much. After some trial and error we found a system and Constitution that worked for our new little country. We divided powers between state and federal levels and everything worked for us. We set up an economy, made allies abroad, and made a name for ourselves with some bumps along the way. America was the place to be, the place for a fresh start where the streets shined and the opportunities were endless. It worked for us for centuries. I'm not saying we were perfect at all, but we were a great place despite our problems. We were united, we were Americans. We all wanted the same things and everyone worked hard. In the 20th century we saw great changes in civil rights and things were well. Somehow though we have lost the way, our leaders have become weaker and more worried about making nice with all the other countries rather than worrying about our own. But that's another story all together.

It's no surprise we're in the middle of an election year. It is by far one of the worst races we've had in this country, but it comes at time that is very important because regardless of who the next president is it will be a defining point for this country. Do we choose the liar who has no remorse about the lives of the servicemen killed on her watch or do we choose the business mogul who "offends" everyone because he doesn't sugarcoat the truth? They will lead America down very different paths and the choice is in the hands of the people. There will be those who vote based on gender or because they feel it's the politically correct thing to do and then there will be those who know the issues and where they stand and who represents those issues best for them. There will be a winner and a loser and I'm anxious to see, but a little fearful too. I think our founding fathers would be disappointed in us. They never intended the country to be like this, being a politician was never meant to be a career. In the beginning the men who served in office were like any other, they were farmers, doctors, writers, they had other careers outside of politics. Now we have career politicians continuously trying to move up the political ladder until they reach the spot they want not caring who or what they use to get there. I don't think this country is a good enough place to say that we are the greatest country in the world. How can we be when we're so internally divided? Until we can unite as Americans, like after 9/11, and until the people here are once again proud to be Americans we can't be great again. We need to take pride in this country like our forefathers did and we can't do that without hard work. The American people need to get off their rumps and get back to working for the American dream rather than sitting by hoping it will fall in their laps.

I hope you remember what this day means and all the men and women who have fought for the freedom we've had for 240 years now because it hasn't been free as much as some millennials might take it for granted. In the words of one of my favorite presidents:

"And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

That's from John Fitzgerald Kennedy in his inaugural address if you're unfamiliar and it's something you should ask yourself every single day. I hope everyone had a blessed 4th of July, even though I celebrated in Spain it was still a good one!

All the best,
B