Terror and Tragedy at Times Square
This week's brutal attack in Times Square stole from our world the precious life of Alyssa Elsman, an 18 year-old and recent high school graduate visiting New York City, while also injuring about 25 other individuals. These victims were sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. Whether or not this tragic event meets the official definition of terrorism, it clearly struck fear in the minds of countless New Yorkers and tourists.
This past Thursday, Richard Rojas used his 2009 Honda Accord to savagely and indiscriminately run down countless pedestrians who were simply enjoying a beautiful day in New York City . . . and I'm just sick about it.
Once again, here I am full of many more questions than answers.
I keep searching . . . .
- Click here for video footage of the attack. Although graphic, I recommend watching it in order to fully understand the dynamics at play.
- I can't imagine the pain. Click here to learn about Alyssa's father.
Restrictions on the ownership and possession of automobiles?
In the wake of such terrible and tragic events, we all yearn for solutions to ensure they do not happen again. I raise this idea of restricting the possession of automobiles, which can be -- and are -- used as killer weapons to easily target hundreds of people, only to demonstrate the futility in responding to such incidents simply with calls to ban access to the objects used to commit the heinous acts.
Click here, here, and here for examples of attackers using automobiles as killing machines.
July 2016 attack in Nice, France
My $0.02: In our search for solutions, let's focus on the individual attackers rather than the inanimate objects they use. The cause is not the automobile, knife, firearm, or other instrument used by a killer, but relates to the corrupted heart of the individual who murders. The appropriate questions in pursuit of safety and security, I think, ask how we best identify and mitigate threats; encourage and respond to credible tips of information; and arrest, incarcerate, and otherwise deter those who have demonstrated a propensity to commit such heinous acts that terrorize our society.
