New terror attack hard to understand

Bomber targeted concert packed with young attendees

The news from Manchester this week is sickening. A suicide bomber targeted an Ariana Grande concert in the English city Monday, killing at least 22 and injuring 59 others.

The concert was filled with young fans, the Associated Press reported, and an eight-year-old child was among those killed. The AP notes that at least 12 children under the age of 16 were among those wounded.

“We struggle to comprehend the warped and twisted mind that sees a room packed with young children not as a scene to cherish but as an opportunity for carnage,” said British Prime Minister Theresa May.

It’s a sentiment with which we agree, as this story especially is a hard one to understand. We’ve struggled for years to comprehend the stories of suicide bombers who targeted public spaces with the goal of maximum carnage. The concept isn’t new. It seems that every year, there’s another attack that makes us collectively gasp.

At some point, people become numb to the concept, and slowly, the stakes are raised even higher.

In fact, the Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict Research Program at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), reports that 2016 was the deadliest in the history of suicide terrorism, with 469 suicide bombings carried out by 800 perpetrators in 28 countries. Those bombings globally took the lives of 5,650 people, the program estimates. But thinking back on 2016 — did anyone realize as it was happening that the statistics were so high?

The INSS notes suicide bombers have been happening since an attack in Lebanon in 1981.

This time around, a bomber struck a crowd at a concert, filled with young teens and tweens, listening to American pop music. The Islamic State took responsibility for Monday’s attack.

Where do we go from here? How do we stop these attacks from escalating? These are questions that clearly we have yet to answer.

However, we know this. One cannot hide in fear. One must continue to live, even when the evening news is filled with dark news and horror stories.

Today, we stand with the victims of Manchester.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?