Since the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, I have heard many people say closing our borders would decrease terrorist attacks in the United States or that allowing foreigners has granted them the opportunity.I do not agree.
Webster dictionary defines domestic terrorism as “terrorism practiced in your own country against your own people.” The 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City was an instance of domestic terrorism.
There have been examples of domestic terrorism in the U.S. since 1910 when the Los Angeles Times building was bombed. A time-controlled bomb went off at 1 a.m., killing 20 employees and injuring about 100.
In 1927, Andrew Kehoe, a school board member in Bath, Mich. planted a bomb under the Bath Consolidated School and killed over 40 people.
Atlanta had a time to shine in 1996 when hosting the Olympic Games. Spectators and athletes came from around the world to partake in world-renowned athletic event. During the Games, Eric Robert
Rudolph, a former explosives expert for the U.S. military, detonated a bomb that killed two people and injured more than 100.
On November 5, 2009, Ft. Hood was the location of a domestic terrorist attack. Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army major serving as a psychiatrist, opened fire in the most populated U.S. Army base, located just outside Killeen, Texas.
So if you ask me if I think shutting immigrants out of the U.S. will decrease terrorism, I disagree. Terrorism, sadly, will continue to live in the borders of our country, carried out by fellow citizens.
The only way we can fight terrorism is a continued vigilance in seeking it out. Boston reacted swiftly and aggressively and because of that the suspects were removed from society within a week. I think law enforcement officials nationwide can learn from the actions taken in Boston.
I applaud the men and women in uniform who work to keep citizens protected and stand in danger’s way to seek out justice. It is up to us to keep America strong.