Delta Flight 253 terrorist attempt should serve as wake-up call

Thank goodness for Christmas miracles, heroic citizens, terrorist buffoonery or whatever force held Delta Flight 253 together over Michigan skies on Christmas. That terrorist act should be a reawakening for all of us that we're at war.Â

We must face the fact that there are entities around the world that don't like us or our way of life and are bent on disrupting our community. Let’s get our heads out of the sand and fight. Â

Air travelers and their carry-on luggage are screened by TSA employees at Oakland International Airport in Oakland, Calif.

The Associated Press

Terrorists are not ghosts - they're human beings. Humans set patterns. Humans make mistakes and misjudgments. Terrorists will draw attention to themselves if we're cunning enough to spot their suspicious, odd and abnormal - but predictable - behaviors.Â

We know our neighborhoods and communities better than anyone. We know who and what belongs in our neighborhood. Suspicious people, vehicles or circumstances should be observed, documented and reported to the local police.

We must make these reports to the police without fear of being politically incorrect. We are at war. Sacrifices must be made for our collective safety. We must replace our sensitivity with understanding. We must understand and remember terrorists put us in these uncomfortable situations.Â

Reporting suspicious activity, arriving early and waiting in security lines at airports and sporting events, and being searched and questioned by law enforcement or security officers are unfortunate realities of our world today. We must submit to these inconveniences because it will make America in general, and our community in particular, safer.

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division produced an outstanding video on what citizens should look for to spot terrorist activities. Take 3 1/2 minutes to watch the video, titled 7 Signs Of Terrorism.Â

Some will ask whether we're living in a “police state.” No, we live in a republic at war. This was thrust upon us on 9/11, and unfortunately, it's the reality we must endure.Â

We may disagree on whether the United States should have gone to war in Iraq or Afghanistan, but it's a fact that terrorists have attacked us on our soil, and on Christmas they tried it again. Let’s come together as a nation and do everything we can as citizens to keep our community safe.Â

REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO YOUR LOCAL POLICE.

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

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