IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
By Ed Hoffman
Now that the Inland Empire is the site of the worst domestic terror attack since 9/11 – that’s not my estimation, that’s the actual FBI characterization – perhaps we can stop pretending. Maybe now, people can stop saying that every Muslim extremist who straps on a suicide vest in a European subway terminal, leaves a bomb concealed in a backpack at the Boston Marathon, or walks into a social services building in San Bernardino with two semi-automatic rifles and kills 14 people is a “lone wolf.” Do you think it’s possible? Locally, I think it is; in fact, after talking to so many concerned people in the Inland Empire, I know it is. After all, we are the ones who saw this happen right here in our community. But nationwide, I’m not so sure.
Why is that? Because of the narrative that’s being trotted out in the media, of course, but also because of the comments from those who have their blinders on. These are the people who want to let in Syrian refugees by the thousands – not just in California, but in every state. These are the people who are tired of hearing about this attack in San Bernardino because it’s not a big, urban metropolis they’re familiar with. And of course, these are the people who will never, ever shut up about how “the vast majority of American Muslims are peaceful” – because that, to them, is far more important than keeping the United States safe. It isn’t that they can’t see the truth about terror; it’s that they won’t, no matter what. They willfully refuse.
Furthermore, these are the aforementioned people who want to dismiss Syed Farook as a lone wolf – just a disgruntled employee whose feelings were hurt because his co-workers made fun of his beard, and who was angered because one of them, a Messianic Jew named Nicholas Thalasinos, dared to speak out and state his differing opinions on religion and politics. Some of them even cling to the delusion that Syed was just an average Southern Californian who tinkered with cars in the garage of his Redlands townhouse – the same garage where his 3,000 rounds of ammo and 12 pipe bombs were stockpiled – and, they buy into the media’s tripe about the Pakistani-born wife being the “real” radical of the family who corrupted her all-American husband.
Don’t believe these people exist? Check your social media feeds; they’re everywhere. Some are even convinced the event was staged and the victims are actors. There are nuts everywhere, and yet it’s the people who just want to combat terror who are being labeled as crazy, overreacting racists and xenophobes. (I can’t wait to hear what they have to say now that we know Farook took out a $28,500 bank loan three weeks ago. Maybe they’ll say it was for “car parts”). And on a final note: I have spoken with someone close to an employee in the IRC building. That employee saw three shooters enter the room – not two. In fact, many witnesses are now speaking up about that. Hopefully, law enforcement is working on that detail under the radar while they try to deceive the general public.
To co-opt a saying for a moment, let’s pray for San Bernardino – but let’s also pray for these delusional people throughout the United States to take the blinders off.
Ed Hoffman is host of The Main Event on AM590, which airs Saturday 9:30 AM- 10:30 AM and Sunday 4:00 PM- 5:00 PM. Follow him on Twitter @EdHoffman, and like him on Facebook by searching The Main Event 590.
