Halloween and Terrorism in the US....concerned?

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Yes, I know people dress up for New Years, but not quite to the extent they do for Halloween which is a holiday known for costumes....New Years is not. While I appreciate your comparison, I disagree with your assessment and correlation of the two holidays. I don't dismiss your parallel on these, I just happen to believe it a lot more likely for a group that is bent on truly terrorizing citizens up close and personal, not with bombs to kill hundreds at a time, to do this on Halloween. You are more than welcome to disagree.

Of course I disagree. It's an absurd and unfounded fear. More people are out and about on New Years than on Halloween. That's just the fact of the matter. If a terrorist wants to do damage on a holiday, then New Years would be the obvious choice. Followed by the 4th of July for patriotic reasons.

I am not trying to prove any point, though it seems you are and I am baffled as to why. Reason and logic would actually point to Halloween being a perfect time for an attack such as the ones ISIS carries out. Real blood/fake blood, people dead/dressed up as dead, real killers/people dressed up as killers, real terrorists/people dressed up as real terrorists, fake weapons/real weapons being carried by many, etc....

Look we've all seen the Halloween movies, but that crap doesn't happen in real life. The only thing going for Halloween is the impersonality of the costumes. But most people who are out and about on Halloween are children and their parents. The adults are out and about at the beginning of the night, but ultimately are on their way to parties where they will stay all night.

In fact, what you should really be fearing on Halloween, is child abductors. THOSE are the people who would take advantage of all the things you just mentioned to work their evil. Terrorists, not so much. Especially since terrorism is close to non-existent in the states

I have heard the "call to arms" of others before, but to carry out a bombing is a lot harder than to just go hack people up with a machete or hatchet or whatever. ISIS stated :

Well then I guess I'll just avoid ISIS then. Good thing they are mostly in the Middle East. Shouldn't be too hard to do. I can carry on with everything I'm currently doing. ISIS is a REGIONAL threat. If you aren't in the region that they are threatening, then fearing them is a waste of time. Actually, it's more like playing right into their hands since fear is the REAL goal of terrorism. So good job, you are doing EXACTLY what the terrorists want. Fearing them.

And shockingly a couple in Canada and at least 2 in the US decided to go for it.

So? People die all the time. Sometimes, it's because of a crazy person. Staying prepared for things like that 24/7 is a waste of time. Those people who died due to the terrorists really don't change the "death by terrorism" statistics much. They just happened to be the unfortunate few. So how about telling me what happened to the terrorists who decided to act on these orders? Are they still free and moving about so they can kill more people?

See....this is how a movement starts. We say it was just a whackbag with no ties to ISIS or whatever group, yet we find their writings and how they followed Islam and blah blah blah. Well that is exactly how these groups operate.....I don't think there is a head of the snake in the case of terror cells for these guys...the nutters seek them out and just do what they think is wanted on their behalf.

Sounds like a job for the police and various criminal tracking forces (like the FBI). Not for you though. You still haven't put forth a compelling reason to fear terrorism OR ISIS. I have a better chance of meeting a robber on the streets during Halloween who shoots and kills me for my wallet then I do meeting a terrorist who wants to behead me because some nutter half-way around the world told him to. Does that mean I should fear robbers on Halloween too?

Everything you are telling me is that you fear ISIS because they are scary and they may do something on Halloween. Well there are a LOT of maybes out there, and preparing for them all is silly and stupid. You need to identify a LEGITIMATE threat to Halloween from terrorists before this is even close to an issue.

It is pretty simple to make the connection for me, though it does not seem simple for you.

That's because you are scared of your imagination and paranoid. Paranoia makes irrational fears seem rational. So it's not surprising that you share this view.

Honestly, your opinion really matters very little to me. I am not here to convince anyone of anything. Just sharing a concern I have over how easily this Halloween could become the next story in the saga with all that has been in the news this week of killings and attempted killings.

So... Cool story bro?

Does this mean we are going to get a repeat of this thread on New Years Eve, Memorial Day, 4th of July, St. Patrick's Day, and any other major holiday where people go out and celebrate? Or just this one because everyone wears a mask (because we know that masks are the ONLY thing that deter terrorists from doing their thing)?

I have thought of over 100 different scenarios that a terrorist organization could use to terrorize the United States, Halloween would be a prime time to cause mass panic. I don't believe this is fear mongering, just a precaution. Whether it is ISIS, Al Qaeda, or whomever, soon we will starting witnessing terrorist acts the use some imagination, not ones that are to be expected. The biggest fear I have is when terrorists do start using their imagination, then, mass panic will be caused. The U.S. is prepared for many scenarios, just not the ones they have not yet thought of....and there are ALOT, as the imagination is limitless.

Happy Halloween!

a reply to: Krazysh0t

If a week before Xmas and New Years people start hacking people up because ISIS told them to do then il make the thread myself lol.

The timing does fit Krazyshot, vasa is not off base on this one.

Crazy people will be out and about Halloween night, there's no arguing that point, devils night and Halloween draw out nischief and mayhem. SO we have people out and about who have it fresh in their mind from within only a few days Other crazies have committed terrible acts.

It's not like vasa is saying because of 9/11 we need to be vigilant on Halloween. These attacks just took place. Idk if you live in a very privileged world that you can't see the actual world around you but its pretty rough out there. People are looking for something because they feel the west have let them down..

From the White House front fence to the background at the micheal brown rallies this bug is takin hold. I'm hoping that the first couple cases will be insignificant enough with bad enough endings for the perpetrators that it discourages others but sadly in America most believe that if someone else didn't do it right they will. It's a very sticky situation that I hope is all just an overreaction by us and a couple isolated cases but currently the jury is out and the count is building daily.

originally posted by: mindseye1609
a reply to: Krazysh0t

If a week before Xmas and New Years people start hacking people up because ISIS told them to do then il make the thread myself lol.

The timing does fit Krazyshot, vasa is not off base on this one.

Yes, she is off base. Like I said, she'd be better off investing her fears into fearing child abductors. They are a FAR more legitimate threat on Halloween then some nutter with a machete.

Crazy people will be out and about Halloween night, there's no arguing that point, devils night and Halloween draw out nischief and mayhem. SO we have people out and about who have it fresh in their mind from within only a few days Other crazies have committed terrible acts.

So because crime happens and there are mentally unstable people in the world, we should fear one particular date?

It's not like vasa is saying because of 9/11 we need to be vigilant on Halloween. These attacks just took place. Idk if you live in a very privileged world that you can't see the actual world around you but its pretty rough out there. People are looking for something because they feel the west have let them down..

I don't know what world YOU live in, but I've never encountered a single terrorist while in the United States. In fact I was actually involved with a terrorist attack. Do you know where? Iraq, when a bomb blew up part of my convoy. I still don't fear terrorists in this country.

From the White House front fence to the background at the micheal brown rallies this bug is takin hold. I'm hoping that the first couple cases will be insignificant enough with bad enough endings for the perpetrators that it discourages others but sadly in America most believe that if someone else didn't do it right they will. It's a very sticky situation that I hope is all just an overreaction by us and a couple isolated cases but currently the jury is out and the count is building daily.

It certainly is an overreaction. Go be scared of muggers or child abductors. You know things with REAL threat levels. Fearing a deranged person breaking down and going psycho on the public at large is going to have little to do with dressing up in a costume. Those types of people usually aren't concerned with getting away with it. Therefore, your risk of someone like Vasa is going on about, going off on Halloween is the same as it is on any other day of the year.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

In a couple weeks if the count stops then I will agree completely. I've been pretty outspoken about not buying into the fear that's where the power comes from but with the last few months playing out how it has combined with the last couple days its definitely got the ole spidey sense tingling.

Driving a car is the most dangerous activity most people will ever do in their entire lives and to not fear that and fear other stuff because the news tells you too is unfounded and silly. BUT as far as im concerned the stage is set lets see how responsible America is.

Medical benefits have been slashed across the board in recent weeks/months also. Pretty substantially in some areas including prescription coverage. People who need it still have access most of the time but the process has become harder and prolonged in some cases leading to unstable people to give up or lose it before the process is done. This Halloween is going to be unprecedented in the amount of highly addicted normally medicated people who are having trouble getting access. Just because something is unprecedented doesn't mean it's going to happen or anything just one of the reason my spidey sense is tingling.

I hope your right krazyshot but you gotta concede to vasa the point being made about recent events. Those same robbers muggers rapists you speak of are part of the problem IMO. Halloween you should always be vigilant and watch your kids but this year there's someone telling people to do it for a reason and a pretty powerful one at that AND AT LEAST A FEW people have already listened. It's unnerving at the very least.


Edit to add: Just caught your edit as I was typing and your correct. In this case the days prior to and after Halloween the chances are just as similar if we are dealing with plain ole crazies but ISIS isn't really just speaking to them. I know of an engineering student that was crazy smart and rich and pretty well had it made that's off on some mountain somewhere no with a big ole beard up to ass hattery.

If we see the attacks die off in the next couple days then Halloween shouldn't be any more frightening then normal but if they continue leading up to it I reckon we got a different story.

a reply to: mindseye1609

The only point I will concede to Vasa is that bad things happen at times and that holidays have a slightly more elevated risk of these bad things happening. That is the only thing worth conceding. Everything else is just flat out paranoia and not worth worrying about.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

You're starting to sound like you're trying to convince yourself that there's nothing to worry about. Maybe there isn't. But that doesn't negate the fact that due vigilance should be exercised while people are out and about.

OP isn't saying everyone should hide in their homes out of fear of ISIS. OP is saying folks should be cautious. OP is right. Haloween is a good time to stay alert of what's going on around you and is a good time for certain things to go unnoticed.

Halloween and Terrorism in the US....concerned?

As long as the gooberment keeps TP'ing yards off the Patriot act I'm safe.

a reply to: EternalSolace

Convince myself? No. I'm just responding to the people who are talking to me. I just like to flesh out my points. I'm already convinced of my position.

If the OP wanted to bring attention to a need for heightened alertness, then maybe the OP should have made a thread in the Social Issues and Civil Unrest forum about being vigilant for bad people on Halloween (which we can all ignore since we see that stuff every year, I even posted a link to such an article on page 1). But instead she posted a thread in the Terrorism forum about ISIS in particular dressing up and stalking victims on Halloween. That ISN'T the same thing and those concerns need to be addressed and shown to be faulty.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

My cousin and I had this same conversation after the Oklahoma killing. We both thought Halloween would be the perfect night for them to make an attack.

If I wanted to go on a killing spree I can not think of a better night.

After all we go shopping when the sale are the best, hunter hunt during the best time. Why wouldn't ISIS think the same way.

I am a 3 hour drive from the closest city so I think we may be safe too but it was a thought I had too.

a reply to: luciddream

What about the terrorist attack that happened on Oklahoma, or the one in Fort Hood, or the one yesterday in NYC.

Oops I am not being politically correct. Lets call them workplace incidents. No, I will call them what they were "terrorist attacks".

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Glad to think I'm not the only one thinking "If you can think it, it might/can happen."

Seems some LEO are thinking along the same lines....

www.foxnews.com...

"With the increase of young persons planning on wearing ISIS-like uniforms and being masked for Halloween, there are some concerns which we, and law enforcement, need to be attentive to," he told FoxNews.com.

"It is all about one day or one night, and hopefully there won't be any incidents, but here are two scenarios that could be developed by jihadi terrorists for Halloween," he speculated. "One is that they would wear ISIS type clothing and mingle with the Halloween celebrants, mostly in public places, and perform violence and film it with devices. The videos produced would be extensively used by ISIS or jihadists for propaganda purposes. They would claim having hit the enemy at home, while wearing jihadi uniforms."

Gives a new meaning to trick or treat


Anyway this thread just proves one thing.............the terrorist have won in the USA!

You more likely to be hit by lighting but terrorism has you in a state of fear.

a reply to: crazyewok

Well.....if you read the whole thread, this isn't a fear for me....just a concern for those in large city areas. Like I said in the OP, perfect time for something to happen and have a perfect cover with the Halloween revelers.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

No worries about terrorism on Halloween. If they are planning a strike it'll happen during the elections. Imagine the press coverage and disruption to the US!

Perhaps why we haven't seen an attack yet by any sympathizers.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Halloween is about children. Perfect scenario.

If I was putting cells in motion, I would have suicide vests in 12 small towns around the nation. Detonate at 7 PM. Show I can hit the heart of the nations homeland.

Then, do a Mumbai type attack at a few nightclubs in Atlanta, NY,LA, MIami...4/5 with auto weapons...

This would strike fear and terror. It is also a big election year.

Don't live in fear folks...just stay safe tonight everyone and be vigilant.

originally posted by: Feltrick
a reply to: Vasa Croe

No worries about terrorism on Halloween. If they are planning a strike it'll happen during the elections. Imagine the press coverage and disruption to the US!

Perhaps why we haven't seen an attack yet by any sympathizers.

If they killed US politicians wouldn't that be doing you guys a huge favour?

I'm not concerned with a Halloween timed terrorist attack any more than I am any other day. I would think that a terrorist attack for Halloween would be difficult. Everyone is outside and running around neighborhoods. People are moving targets. I much more likely time period for terrorist attacks on soft targets would be Christmas shoppers in malls. Everyone stuck inside a crowded big building. That'd be a much easier target than people trick or treating.

a reply to: matafuchs

Any knocks on your door since this post lol?


As for the op I reckon the only terrorism that's gonna take place in my neck of the woods tonight will be perpetrated by Mother Nature lol... 50 mph wind with slushy snow.... Gl kiddies don't freeze and watch out for weirdos of all types!