Declare War on Neighborhood Terrorists

With all of the stories in the news of terrorists and mass shootings, it's easy to place blame on particular groups and say that we need to distance ourselves from them. But what about those terrorizing our neighborhoods? Are we just going to ignore them?

I remember when there was a shooting at the Cobb Hollywood 16 Theater in Aug. 2011.  The Tuscaloosa community was in a state of disbelief. The theater has always been a place where people go to enjoy down time, whether it be a date night or family night.  The fact that someone would open fire in such a public place was alarming.  Now, there has been a shooting at a fast food restaurant? And in broad daylight?

Granted in the local shootings, there are usually specific targets; but what happens to the bullet that misses the target? What about the one that ricochets? Most adults think about these things and avoid places where such actions may occur. It's a shame that a fast food restaurant may now be one of those places to avoid.

See, the thing about terrorism is that its whole purpose is to strike fear, alarm, and panic.  On the mass scale, terrorism is linked to politics. But on the smaller scale, there is such a thing as street politics.  While as a country, we are fighting a war against terrorism, it's imperative that we also declare a war on our neighborhood terrorists before there's nowhere safe outside our homes.