This Is No Time To Disagree

   

     It appears that the politicians and officials, whose job it is to protect the American people from harm, cannot agree upon whether the most dangerous jihadist group in the world is a danger to our homeland.
     Francis X. Taylor, the undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, said the Department of Homeland Security is "unaware of any specific credible threat to the U.S. homeland” from the Islamic State (IS).  Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Jonson said,  “We know of no credible information that ISIL is planning to attack the homeland at present.”  Then you have Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel being very vague at the Naval War College on exactly what he meant by saying "ISIS is an imminent threat to every interest we have."  They can't even agree on what to call this threat ... is it IS, ISIL or ISIS?
     Secretary of State John Kerry says we are not "at war" with ISIS, referring to call it "a counterterrorism operation of a significant order."  Yet Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said, "This is not the Iraq War of 2002, but make no mistake, we know we are at war with ISIL."  To add to the confusion, in late August, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey said he does believe that ISIS is currently plotting or planning attacks against the U.S. or Europe.
    Now, the latest coming from a CNN report, says that the CIA believes that ISIS "can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria", and they estimate that 2,000 of those fighters come from Western sympathizers.
     So, what exactly are we, the American people -- the homeland -- supposed to think?  Are we being  kept in a state of confusion or denial on purpose?  Does it keep us mindless, or indifferent, when it comes to protecting ourselves?  Will it make it that much easier for a terrorist attack to take place on our home soil, and perpetuate this endless military-industrial complex that has drained us for the last thirteen years?  All these are thoughts that I don't want to entertain, but it certainly makes me feel like the wolf is on our doorstep, and the three little pigs can't even agree on whether they heard a knock at the door.
     But, I'm here to tell you that we better start paying attention to the evidence that is before our eyes.  If you have not yet heard this story I'm about to tell you, I predict that it will soon be at the forefront of our national awareness.  In June of this year, 19-year-old Brendan Tevlin, of New Jersey, was killed in what appeared to be a random act of violence.   In fact, the Essex Country Prosecutor's Office initially characterized Brendan as "a target" of a random robbery attempt, in which he was shot 8 times by suspect Ali Muhammad Brown.  Just another unfortunate teen in the wrong place, at the wrong time, right?  Suspicions were hinted at ... could it have been a drug hit?  What might Brendan had been involved in that resulted in his death?

Brendan Tevlin

     Never mind that Brendan was, by all accounts, a remarkable kid who was a National Honor Society student, with no record of trouble; or that this was a black-on-white crime, which didn't receive the national attention that the Ferguson, Missouri shooting has garnered.  The real tragedy in this story is that the media and law enforcement both ignored, and attempted to misrepresent, the truth behind this murder.  And here it is:  Brown, who has since confessed to Brendan Tevlin's murder, along with three other murders in Washington state, says they were carried out as retribution for innocent lives lost in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the Islamic world.   “All these lives are taken every single day by America, by this government. So a life for a life,” Brown told detectives, according to the documents.   So, you see, folks; the terrorists are already here!
     According to NJ.com, Prosecutors say Brown is a devout Muslim who had become angered by U.S. military intervention in the Islamic world, which he referred to as “evil.” He also referred to drug use as inherently evil.  “During the interview Brown also stated that, as part of his beliefs, if a ‘man sees evil then he must take action against that evil’,” according to court papers.
     But here's the question we must ask ourselves:  How many others like Brown are being recruited for jihad?  Websites such as Breitbart.com and newspapers like The Houston Chronicle have written that U.S. Intelligence reports indicate that over 100 Americans have enlisted as Islamic State fighters, and it is readily accepted that ISIS has successfully recruited 2,000 Westerners via its sophisticated online recruitment methods.  The Daily Mail, out of London, reported last week that at least three Minnesota women have traveled to Syria to assist ISIS fighters. Two American ISIS members have already been killed, both from Minnesota.  And now we have Brendan Tevlin gunned down by an ISIS-sympathizer, on the streets of West Orange, New Jersey -- simply for being an American.
     And what did the Authorities do?  Instead of telling the truth, they attempted to give the public a false sense of security, by intimating that Brendan, an innocent and good kid, was "targeted".  That lie not only besmirched Brendan's reputation, but also served to encourage the public to let down their guard ... this couldn't possibly affect us; there must have been a connection between the killer and the victim.
     But here's the truth that should have been shouted from every media outlet across the country ... We are all potential terrorist victims in our own country!  Whether it is those crossing our unsecured southern border who wish us harm; or those who are seduced and recruited by slick social media productions; or those who simply hate us for our governments' policies ... the Enemy is here in the Homeland!  Why isn't this story at the forefront of the national media?  Why isn't it being talked about?  It needs to be a part of our national dialogue --- not in an effort to spread panic and/or bigotry; but to help make us aware of this very real threat, and in the hopes that Brendan's death would count for something.  How many more Brendan's will it take before our leaders not only agree upon the threat, but tell us the truth about the enemy?  It's time that we quit trying to downplay the seriousness of this evil --- it is not "workplace violence", and it is not "random targeting". A jihad has been declared against this country and the enemy is determined to execute their "holy war".  We must be just as determined in our resolve to be open and honest about what that threat looks like.  May God not turn His back on us, in this, our hour of need.

Job 5:12    "He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success. "