The following discussion about homegrown terrorism comes from different presentations given by Dr. Errol Southers, one of the members of the TAL Global Team.

For most of us, homegrown terrorism in the U.S. began on September 11, 2001. But as bad as that attack was by al Qaeda, this country has a history of internal, homegrown violence and terrorism. Some have made headlines while others may have been forgotten.

The most famous example of homegrown terrorism occurred on April 19, 1995, at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The building was bombed, killing 168 people, and leaving hundreds injured. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the perpetrators, said the bombing was an anti-government protest. To this day, it is the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history.

But before Oklahoma City, there was the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski was a recluse, ideologically opposed to technological progress. Starting in 1978, he began mailing bombs to innocent people throughout the country, killing three people and seriously injuring twenty-three others.

And one more act of homegrown terrorism we should mention is the 1996 summer Olympics bombing in Atlanta, Georgia. Eric Rudolph planted bombs underneath benches on the Olympic grounds, killing two people and injuring 111. As to why he did it, Rudolph said in his confession:

The attack aimed to confound, anger, and embarrass the Washington government in the eyes of the world for its abominable sanctioning of abortion on demand.

So, now that we have a bit more understanding of the history of homegrown terrorism let’s take a closer look at homegrown violent extremists, also known as supremacists.

First, a definition of homegrown terrorists:

Homegrown terrorists/supremacists are people born and living in the United States or are visitors that have been radicalized while living here. They conduct or plot terrorist activities, believing that by harming people and property, they can express their ideologies, influence the government, or instill fear in the public.

Homegrown terrorists come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. There are Black and white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and white-power skinheads. Some are religious supremacists, Christians, Jews, and Muslims, who radically interpret the world’s major religions.

And there is another group, the one Atlanta bomber Eric Rudolph is a member of. These are people radically opposed to specific issues, such as abortion, or certain countries, such as Israel, who express their views by harming others and damaging property.

What can we do as a country to better address these threats from homegrown terrorists?

We must first realize that it is not something that happens over there somewhere. It happens here in America by Americans.
We need to monitor social networks, especially the ones frequented by our children. If you detect something on social media that appears threatening or harmful, say something.
And that takes us to the third thing we can do: Act. It’s estimated that 40 percent of terrorist acts in the U.S. are uncovered because citizens called police authorities and reported something was wrong.

Finally, if you are a commercial property owner, manager, business owner, head of a college or university, or medical center, you must conduct a risk assessment. Today, a professionally conducted risk assessment should be performed on a regular basis. The purpose of a risk assessment is threefold:

To detect hazards to a facility and those using the facility.
To point out vulnerabilities of the facility.
To suggest ways those hazards, and vulnerabilities can be mitigated, helping to protect people and property should they occur.

Listen, this is serious. To learn more about risk assessments and how you can help, talk to us at TAL Global.

As always, we value your feedback, which helps us shape our perspective on recent events, security, and the services we offer.

Stay safe,

Johnathan Tal
Chief Executive Officer
TAL Global
O: 1-408-993-1300
info@talglobal.net