America was struck by apparent home-grown terrorists again over the weekend. A bombing in New York City injured 29 people, while a knife-wielding attacker injured 11 people at a mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
The immediate reaction to the news was predictable; America seems vulnerable to attack. Anyone with a motive and willingness to risk his or her own life can cause harm to others and simultaneously generate a maximum amount of publicity.
Terrorist organizations around the world can claim credit for the attacks, whether they are directly involved or not, giving them fodder for their nihilistic war against the west.
But what’s more remarkable about the attacks is how they were handled by authorities and the public.
The attacker at the St. Cloud shopping mall was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer. James Falconer, a former police chief who operates a firearms training company, confronted and took down the attacker. Police say the security video shows Falconer continuing to fire even as the suspect lunged at him.
Meanwhile, police in New York City and New Jersey reacted rapidly to the explosion of one bomb in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and another in Seaside Park, New Jersey. By Monday morning, authorities had released several photos of 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami, a suspect in the bombings.
Within hours, police had tracked Rahami to Lindin, New Jersey where he was found sleeping in a doorway. A shootout ensued, leaving two police officers and Rahami with injuries. At this point, police are not looking for any other individuals.
It’s remarkable that throughout the ordeal there remained some sense of normalcy in the greater New York/New Jersey area. Yes, it was tense and some travel was impacted, but for the most part people went to work, schools and businesses were open.
That speaks to the resilience of folks in the face of such attacks, as well as our confidence in the police and first responders to carry out their responsibilities promptly and professionally. It’s impossible to stop every determined person bent on death and destruction, but it’s heartening to know the attackers are not going to get away with it.
The response may be by a person trained in self defense, as it was in St. Cloud, or by the full resources of myriad government agencies responsible for our protection. Either way, the lesson from last weekend is not our vulnerability, but rather our ability to respond when attacked.