By Joseph Iemma
Staff Writer
San Bernardino, C.A., was the epicenter of America’s latest mass shooting. According to San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, the shooting occurred at the Inland Regional Center, a center that provides services to people with developmental disabilities. Marybeth Feild, president and CEO of the center, said “…the incident took place in a conference area that an outside agency was renting.”
Also, Wednesday’s gathering was one of two “general education” meetings that the department holds each year. The purpose of the meeting was to provide employees the recognition they had earned throughout the year’s work before the holidays. However, according to media reports (both FOX News and MSNBC) the gathering dubbed this meeting a “Company Christmas Party.”
According to San Bernardino’s Sheriff’s Department, “14 have been pronounced dead, and 21 are wounded but expected to survive their injuries.” The suspects, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, are Los Angeles natives, who according to law enforcement, “worked in collusion with each other to execute the premeditated mass murder.”
Now, the FBI is investigating the case have yet to label the incident as terrorism or, for that matter, ISIS-related. However, democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, deemed the incident “not normal” and “intolerable.” She’s right; but in wake of the attacks in Paris, with unrest in the Middle East, and ISIS undoubtedly on the rise, many Americans have been quick to cry terrorism, and America as a whole is growing restless with radical Islam.
Given the circumstances of living in the Post 9/11, it’s become ever more strenuous to monitor and manage enemies of the state such as ISIS. ISIS hasn’t been the only thing on the minds of Americans as of late. Issues such as racism, police brutality, the ever-growing issue of income inequality, and climate change have become the talking points. Oh, and did I mention we are less than a year away from election?
Don’t ask for me for a solution to these problems, for I have none. All I can do is voice the opinion of my generation, and especially, Post Students. The Pioneer asked students what they thought about America’s recent issues, both foreign and domestic.
“I’m worried,” said Livy Booker, a freshman communications major. “It’s scary when you turn on the news, and we live in New York, so you know we are a target. I’ll be honest I’ve been on edge as of late.”
Booker isn’t alone, when asked the same question, Michael Santos, a junior political science major voiced a similar sentiment. “It’s [shootings] everywhere. It’s in schools, cities, suburbs, hospitals, planes. Everyone’s a target now, and our enemy, or whatever you want to call them, [are] faceless. You just don’t know,” Santos said, as he anxiously tied his shoes and made his way to class.
Will anything change? I honestly do not know. However, based off my observations, the confidence of Americans, for whichever reason, seems to be wavering. The confidence Americans once sported so proudly, is seemingly giving way to insecurity. Is it because our borders are under siege? Is our dollar not stretching as far as it once did? Or terror threats both foreign and domestic? Is it all the above?
Well, whatever the problem is, Americans are searching for answers to those questions. Perhaps, they will be answered on Election Day.
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