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We chase terrorists in Afghanistan while predators stalk our children

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Message Michael Payne

A deadly gang fight erupted near Fenger High School on the south side of Chicago in Sept. 2009 in which a student was beaten to death in plain sight of many other students. Students in the Chicago Public School System leave home and face the terror of being assaulted or killed every day. A total of 508 Chicago school kids were shot from September 2007 through December 2008, according to data compiled by the school system and released to the Chicago Sun-Times. While most survived too many died. This violence continues to go on unabated as the police apparently cannot bring it under control. This is home grown terror.

The daily threat of terror on the streets of America to which I refer is carried out by seemingly normal adults and kids who suddenly kill innocents around them. While there is no way that such killings could ever be totally eliminated, there is not even a question that we could bring far greater safety to our children if we made it a top national priority and provided the monetary resources needed.

Here's the point. We spend hundreds of billions in senseless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan chasing after terrorists who hide under cover and use road bombs to kill our troops. At the same time in America we have these tragic incidents in which predators come out of the shadows, kidnap innocent children and snuff out their lives. Let's take just a portion of those billions that we are spending in foreign countries to zero in on the predators that threaten our kids. Should that not be a top priority?

Just what is the difference between a terrorist and a predator? I say none; both commit murderous acts and both must be stopped. In the case of the terrorists we fear we take proactive action by going after them in their foreign sanctuaries. However, in the case of our domestic predators we are not being nearly as proactive as we should when, only after a heinous act is committed, do law enforcement officials act.

No one can tell me that this problem cannot be better dealt with if the proper effort and funds were committed to it. But no, America can't possible spare any more money for solving this festering problem because our Congress and leaders in Washington have already allocated all the money available to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, as bad as this situation may be, the kids under siege and their parents will have to find some way to cope with it on their own, as has been the case.

We keep talking about winning and success in Afghanistan but here in America our children are the losers and we are completely failing them.

Something is terribly wrong with our priorities in America!


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