Terrorism in today's society: some are concerned, but some are not
Andrew Pouliot
Police in the United Kingdom believe Salman Ramadan Abedi acted alone, and not under the direction of a terrorist organization when he bombed an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester May 22, according to The Guardian.
In the wake of the attack, which killed 23 and injured 118, many people showed concern for security at public events around the world.
"It's kind of hard to stop someone from doing that outside of an arena at an event," Jarra Gojolo, 20, journalism major, said. "Every time I go to an event, that will be at the back of my mind."
The Manchester attack resonated with many around the world because many of the victims were children. Even the Queen of England came out to make a statement about the tragedy.
"The whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury in Manchester last night of so many people, adults and children, who had just been enjoying a concert," Queen Elizabeth II said in a May 23 message to the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, which was published on the Royal Family's website.
The Queen also visited area hospitals to pay her respect to the families of victims, according to a Vanity Fair article.
"When I see metal detectors at stadiums, it reminds me that something has happened before and could happen again," Duane Soubirous, a student aid at the De Anza Journalism Department said. "Those things never happen here, so when I hear about it in the news, it is shocking to me."
Not everyone believes there is a danger here in the United States from terrorists though.
"I don't worry about it any more than I usually do," Neil McClintick, 21, political science major, said. "When I go out, I feel like the area we're in is relatively safe, so I wouldn't expect there to be a correlation here."
"I don't think about it when I go out," Jay Serrano, 23, journalism major, said. "I always look out for something that could be happening but I don't typically think that something like Manchester could happen here."
De Anza has never had a significant crime problem on campus, with only three arrests being made on campus in relation to drugs and one stalking, according to the Foothill-De Anza Police Department.
In April 2001, a bomb threat made by a student prompted local law enforcement to evacuate the whole campus, but no bombs were found, according to an article in La Voz.
Attacks in the West have such a large impact because of the perceived rarity of their occurrences, or because when they do happen they target places frequently visited by people, such as airports, national monuments, concerts, and other public areas.
"Statistically, I don't see it happening here," Serrano said. "I expect a gunman to do something here instead of a bomber, but it's the same effect. It's scary."
Links:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/212558/seven-trust-government-protect-against-terrorism.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Manchester_Arena_bombing#cite_note-89
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/24/go-sing-with-the-angels-families-and-friends-pay-tribute-to-manchester-victims
