Several recent events have prompted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to decide to tighten security at more than 9,500 facilities across the country that are used by 1.4 million visitors each day. The heightened security is no doubt directly related to the lone gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who managed to storm into Canada's Parliament last week shortly after killing Nathan Cirillo, a solider guarding Ottawa's National War Memorial. That incident, plus ISIS, continuously calling for lone-wolf jihad missions certainly has made the U.S. reconsider just how well-protected we all are.
Jeh Johnson, the Homeland Security secretary, confirmed the tightened security measures in a statement, saying, "Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance in the protection of U.S. government installations and our personnel. The reasons for this action are self-evident: The continued public calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on the homeland and elsewhere, including against law enforcement and other government officials, and the acts of violence targeted at government personnel and installations in Canada and elsewhere recently."
The real issue is how well we can be protected. While the government has done a good job of reportedly intercepting large-scale threats before they were put into action, it is the lone gunmen attacks that will be harder to anticipate and prevent.
Our country is also making it harder for extremists who are based here to fly over to Syria in the hopes of joining ISIS. When their efforts are blocked, they have been taught that the next best thing is to attack a government facility or a U.S. soldier because it is seen as an act of loyalty.
Do you think the Department of Homeland Security will somehow prevent a rash of potential attacks, and should we be expecting that another act of terrorism is likely?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
