The Emperor Has No Clothes

On Wednesday, we were driving home from Houston.  Upon our arrival, I looked at the news and saw reports of the massacre in San Bernardino, CA.  There was not a lot of information, except the following:

• 14 people were killed, 17 wounded
• Police were pursuing two people and there was a possible third assailant

The next thing on the news was an interview with President Obama saying “We have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world…”  He continued with “We don’t know the motives of the shooters.” and finished with calling for reforms to block individuals on the “no fly” list from being able to purchase guns.

I’m for stronger gun control.  It should be known, like Connecticut, California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation.  As the perpetrators were not on the “no fly” list or being watched by the FBI, it is highly unlikely stricter gun control laws would have had significant impact as to whether this shooting would have taken place.

What is clear is that these killers prepared for this attack.  They had body armor, automatic rifles, bombs and pistols.  There were at least two of them.  Their house had an arsenal of even more weapons and munitions, as if they were planning a string of attacks.  Where they got these weapons or learned how to use them is a question that still needs answering.  It seems obvious they were more than run of the mill shooters.  They were terrorists who had targeted, of all things, a Christmas Party.  It is also obvious that they must have received support to amass such a cache of arms.

Nevertheless, the root question is “why did they do this heinous act?”  What we do know is Syed Farook was an American, born of Pakistani parents.  He dressed like other Americans.  He went a couple of years ago to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage to Mecca.  Around the time of this pilgrimage, he exchanged his western clothes for Islamic dress and grew a beard.  He brought Tashfeen Malik, who he met in Saudi Arabia, back to the US, and the two were soon married.

It may be simple thinking but there seems to be an obvious correlation with Farook’s sudden change in religious devotion/ appearance and the acts he and his wife committed in San Bernardino.  We don’t know much about Tashfeen Malik.  She could be the mastermind and he the follower.  My guess is they were equally interested in Jihad.  Maybe their families and friends could help us understand, but unlikely.

Nevertheless, it is a shame our President would lead with gun control politics.  He had his opportunity with Sandy Hook and dropped the ball.  This event is clearly a case of terrorism.  It is unsurprising that he is dancing, as he and the rest of his administration have failed to label who is attacking western civilization, e.g. Radical Islamists.

I’d like to hear what Clinton and Sanders say on this subject, hopefully not more of the same.