Terrorism in Indiana or not?

[bwframe]

Do you wonder if we Hoosiers are somewhat less than targets of terrorism due to our location, mentality, politics, etc? Add in a fairly high number of LTCH holders and a less than big city urban attitude.

Even before Boston, I'd like to think that a lone guy in an Indiana crowd would never get away with walking away from a bag. Forget about situational awareness, Hoosiers would help out a forgetful sole. I think that we might notice things being out of place or odd as compared to, lets say, a Chicago type crowd that doesn't readily look others in the eye.

I've had this conversation a few folks as of late. My half serious joke to those who seem to be cowering saying that the Boston type terrorism could happen anywhere;
In Indiana, they would never come on the news and tell us to "hide inside, until this is all over." In Indiana the news media would be telling us to "be careful of killing your neighbors while you are killing these terrorists."

Seriously though, do you think our demographics make us less than likely targets?

 

[teddy12b]

Seriously though, do you think our demographics make us less than likely targets?

Based on stats Indiana is a largely white Christian state. You could make the argument that it makes us more of a target. Like it or not this kind of thing could happen anywhere. Bad guys can do bad things anywhere and having a cute little pink paper in your wallet and an unblemished G19 on your side isn't going to deter someone willing to die for their beliefs. When we as a country are so spread out it makes us vulnerable. Maybe you can convince me otherwise but I don't see being safer in Indiana just because we're so wonderful.

 

[ultra...good]

I always looked at it as a population density issue. The more people in a given area, the more likely that area is to have an attack. Trade center had how many people in one small area. Boston Marathon also had a lot of people in a small area.
Another factor I now consider, how likely is there to be someone standing around with a gun that would not hesitate to kill the SOB before they are able to detonate a bomb, or steal a plane? Muslim terrorists like to kill people. They do not care so much about denomination. Western capitalist probably gives them a bit more incentive, but a kill is a kill to those whack jobs.
As much as I do not like to hear of these bombings and attacks happening, it does seem that they happen around liberal, urban, "gun free" areas. I live in a rural, mostly conservative area where people are known for hunting and such. What are you gonna do? It is bad enough that some would abolish our 2A rights. We will never be able to convince them to protect themselves.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

While "Indiana" itself may not offer much of a target, you can bet your sweet bippy that there are several EVENTS in Indiana that certainly CAN be targets.

Indy 500
Brickyard 400
Mini-Marathon
MotoGP
F1 - should it return
Any Notre Dame football game
NBA Playoffs game
Possibly any PU football game...depending on who they're playing
PGA event @ Crooked Stick
Super Bowl - should it return
Indy Air Show - should it run again

As far as Hoosiers being of a different mentality than east coasters / Bostonians - Probably not. People are people are people.

If you were at an event only as a spectator - say waiting for your son to cross the finish line at the Mini-Marathon, and you KNEW he was approaching his anticipated "time", would you (generic "you") really be focused on seeing if someone in the crowd was acting weird? Watching to see if someone put a backpack down and walked away?

"it can happen here" is both A) how "the government" gets you, and B) how the potential terrorists get you, too.

 

[brotherbill3]

Freedom and Bravery - as in the land of the and home of the -
Requires facing everyday fears and risks; and some extraordinary risks ...

As we sacriice our freedom for 'safety' - we become more
"the land of the caged farm animals and the home of the chickens' ...

 

[jkaetz]

While "Indiana" itself may not offer much of a target, you can bet your sweet bippy that there are several EVENTS in Indiana that certainly CAN be targets.

Indy 500
Brickyard 400
Mini-Marathon
MotoGP
F1 - should it return
Any Notre Dame football game
NBA Playoffs game
Possibly any PU football game...depending on who they're playing
PGA event @ Crooked Stick
Super Bowl - should it return
Indy Air Show - should it run again

As far as Hoosiers being of a different mentality than east coasters / Bostonians - Probably not. People are people are people.

If you were at an event only as a spectator - say waiting for your son to cross the finish line at the Mini-Marathon, and you KNEW he was approaching his anticipated "time", would you (generic "you") really be focused on seeing if someone in the crowd was acting weird? Watching to see if someone put a backpack down and walked away?

"it can happen here" is both A) how "the government" gets you, and B) how the potential terrorists get you, too.

I'm in agreement with this. Large events in Indy are no easier to watch and protect than large events in any other city. Even the the 4th of July Freedom Blast fireworks show could be a target. Lots of people in a concentrated area. The possibility exists anywhere there will be lots of news coverage after the attack.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I don't know that we're that much different than anybody else. We've got the folks on the news casts that will tell us to stay inside if there's snow on the ground or that we shouldn't forget to leave our kids in parked cars-in the sun, etc...we've got our fair share of sheep and nannies. It may not be as bad as MA, but if they told everybody to stay in the house while we hunt for this guy, many would. If our .gov thought they had to do a house-to-house search, run people out at gun point, like they did in MA, I believe ours would do it. We may have a few more resist than in MA. But I think most would comply.

 

[SideArmed]

There are a few area's of Indiana that would make prime targets for attacks, and at least one that I know of has been surveilled by persons with less than honest intents. And then you have the major events and venues around the state that would attract your garden variety plots of terrorism, such as the boston bombing. I wouldn't say that we are immune in anyway.

Keep your head on a swivel.

 

[ces6508]

Google "Salem Indiana Bombing".


" I wouldn't say that we are immune in anyway."

 

[cedartop]

.
As far as Hoosiers being of a different mentality than east coasters / Bostonians - Probably not. People are people are people.

..

I agree. We see all of the time on here how "I" would do this and "I" would do that, yet bad stuff still happens and more often than not nobody does anything about it except talk.

 

[Dino81]

Being from the region, the steel mills have always worried me as a target. Maybe not from a back pack bomber, but nutty leaders of countries that would want to target us. N Korea, Iran, etc.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

With our schools being "criminal free-fire zones" and with the number of shopping malls, big-box stores and public venue events, we are as vulnerable to terror acts as anywhere in the country. If it's going to happen, it's likely that we'll see a wave of IED bombings throughout the nation in shopping malls, public venue events where large numbers of people gather (that's what Islamic radical strategists are shooting for, anyway). Having been to the Indianapolis Festival of Lights celebration on the Circle for a number of years, placing an IED and walking away during the event would likely not be noticed, nor would an IED placed in a trash container be notable in one of our area shopping malls. If the "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom" internet instructions catch on, we could see a LOT more incidents like the Boston Marathon Bombing.

One thing, though. Instead of cowering in fear over the bombings, I think you'd see an outpouring of rage against Islamics in the community. It wouldn't be right to tar all Islamics with the "terrorist" brush, but it WOULD be human, and it might nudge the normal Islamic community to speak out against - and act against - the terrorists in their midst.

EDIT: The purpose of performing terrorist acts isn't to kill people, as such; it's to create fear in a segment of the population; to diminish the faith of the people in their governments' ability to protect them (already low in many communities); and to divide segments of the population from each other. Yet, some nations who've experienced on-going levels of terrorism for many years (perhaps Israel most prominent among them) manage to hang in and even to largely defeat their foes. We may sustain casualties - perhaps even many casualties - in a prolonged terror campaign, but I think there are enough stubborn Americans in this nation everywhere to prevent terrorists from completely attaining their objectives.

 

[hoosierken]

I wondered if someone would remember the Salem Indiana Bombs.

It seems that anyone that wants to do evil has the opportunity in this country. Schools are still too easy to get into. Malls, theaters seem like soft targets.

 

[Nim]

While "Indiana" itself may not offer much of a target, you can bet your sweet bippy that there are several EVENTS in Indiana that certainly CAN be targets.

Indy 500
Brickyard 400
Mini-Marathon
MotoGP
F1 - should it return
Any Notre Dame football game
NBA Playoffs game
Possibly any PU football game...depending on who they're playing
PGA event @ Crooked Stick
Super Bowl - should it return
Indy Air Show - should it run again

As far as Hoosiers being of a different mentality than east coasters / Bostonians - Probably not. People are people are people.

If you were at an event only as a spectator - say waiting for your son to cross the finish line at the Mini-Marathon, and you KNEW he was approaching his anticipated "time", would you (generic "you") really be focused on seeing if someone in the crowd was acting weird? Watching to see if someone put a backpack down and walked away?

"it can happen here" is both A) how "the government" gets you, and B) how the potential terrorists get you, too.

This past weekend the THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE event brought a couple hundred thousand people to the river side in Jeffersonville/Clarksville. No incidents here.

Not worried about making a list here mainly because any potential terrorist could easily come up with their own list.

 

[Nim]

next up...The Kentucky Derby and a number of other events next week, including a marathon in Louisville this Saturday.

 

[aaron580]

All I know is there are a couple places I would consider may be "hotspots" I keep my eye on since I have seen some interesting activity in the past at these locations, especially one around plainfield....but thats just me keeping a watchful eye which I do everywhere I go anyway.

 

[LANShark42]

While "Indiana" itself may not offer much of a target, you can bet your sweet bippy that there are several EVENTS in Indiana that certainly CAN be targets.

Indy 500
Brickyard 400
Mini-Marathon
MotoGP
F1 - should it return
Any Notre Dame football game
NBA Playoffs game
Possibly any PU football game...depending on who they're playing
PGA event @ Crooked Stick
Super Bowl - should it return
Indy Air Show - should it run again

As far as Hoosiers being of a different mentality than east coasters / Bostonians - Probably not. People are people are people.

If you were at an event only as a spectator - say waiting for your son to cross the finish line at the Mini-Marathon, and you KNEW he was approaching his anticipated "time", would you (generic "you") really be focused on seeing if someone in the crowd was acting weird? Watching to see if someone put a backpack down and walked away?

"it can happen here" is both A) how "the government" gets you, and B) how the potential terrorists get you, too.

PU game? Seriously?!? When they could go east a hundred miles (give or take) and hit an Ohio State game? Or north that same distance and hit a Michigan or Michigan State game. Puh-lease!

 

[gunowner930]

You never know. I'm sure Oklahoma city thought that they would never be a terrorist target in 1995 either. That said, what would or could we have done had we been armed at the Boston Marathon? Bombs went off, we didn't know who detonated them as it took place either.

 

[gunowner930]

PU game? Seriously?!? When they could go east a hundred miles (give or take) and hit an Ohio State game? Or north that same distance and hit a Michigan or Michigan State game. Puh-lease!

Purdue is irrelevant even to terrorists.

 

[XDmShootr21]

Purdue is irrelevant even to terrorists.

Haha I couldn't agree more.