Posted on 11/22/2015 4:51:21 AM PST by knarf
A local FReeper e-mailed this to me this morning
There IS cause for alarm
"Apparently it happened back in September. I don't get the local newspaper, nor do I listen to local radio. However, I DO work in the (I took this out). I know I work in the basement most of the time lately, but you would think I would have heard about it! Who would ever think that some muslim group would hack little old Indiana Co's website!
Just on Friday night we had our local light up night and Christmas Parade. I noticed a small group of middle-eastern males entering and exiting an apartment above one of the shops. Not surprising, since this is a college town and they looked to be students. What got me is their mocking looks at all of the people there for the parade. Our main street was full of families, kids, grandparents. Very wholesome family-orientsd night. There had to be a couple thousand people lining the streets. OK, I admit it - I'm being paranoid. Please stay vigilant everyone. And please stay safe as you go about your Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping.
And keep your phone cameras always at the ready. You never know if it’s your picture that turns the case.
OK, I admit it - I’m being paranoid.
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Of course you do not want to embarrass anyone or accuse anyone or cause a disturbance, but this is the sort of situation where terrorists & criminals take advantage. You have that ‘gut’ feeling or the hair stands up on the back of your neck ... and you say “oh, I’m just being paranoid” or explain it away (probably college students) or don’t want to make a scene or cause a ruckus. Often, this gives a criminal/terrorists the seconds they need to get close enough to a victim or to exploit a situation. With terrorists, people need to quickly get over “seeing something” that doesn’t seem right, but then they don’t say anything.
If/when the ‘alarm bells’ go off now in a public venue, the thing to do is find a local cop and tell them what was observed and then let the professionals decide what to do, if anything. In this parade situation, maybe it’s stationing an officer or two across the street to keep an eye on the windows of that apartment building. Maybe it’s sending a couple of officers up to have a “chat”. FBI Director Comey was on the other day and he stressed that local police forces have been trained for this - he was very adamant and reassuring that if you see something, they know how to get the info to people who know what to do with it in a hurry. When lives are at stake .... families, kids, grandparents”, I would take Comey at his word and tell someone.
I’ve mentioned before Gavin de Becker’s book “The Gift of Fear”. It should be required reading in this day and age. The “fear” is the innate sense people have .... instinct or whatever that kicks in to give you that inner warning, even before your brain has had time to process exactly what is going on. The point of his book is to listen to that inner voice/instinct & act on it - don’t try to explain it away, excuse it, etc. The ‘gift’ is that your instinctive ‘fear’ can/will save your life if you recognize and pay attention to it. It’s dangerous times we’re in & the reality on the ground is that our lives and the lives of others are very likely to depend on what we may or may not do.
No one needs more junk. Forego the Christmas shopping, tree lighting and parade crowds, which are terrorists’ dream targets, and just spend home time with loved ones.
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