Why ISIS is a “Bunch of Bitches”
The last ten or fifteen years have provided us with a proliferation of entertainment focused on the anti-hero. It’s not that we root for the bad guys, but we are definitely interested in them, maybe because they are….well….interesting. From the Sopranos to the Shield, we are fascinated by the exploits of the far from perfect (or good) main characters. Sometimes we can see a hint of some good or redeeming qualities in them. Breaking Bad is one of my more recent favorites, and Jesse Pinkman was probably my favorite character…..bitch.
It might be that I see a little of myself in Jesse, or it might be that Jesse resides just a little bit in all of us, or it might just be that Jesse is a funny and entertaining character, but whatever the case, he made me laugh. If you need any reminding, check out the below link to a buzzfeed article entitled “23 Signs You’re Jesse Pinkman, Bitch”.
www.buzzfeed.com/juliapugachevsky/yeah-mr-white-yeah-science#.snwjPB6aY
Jesse was definitely a flawed character who paid the price for his bad decisions. In fact, many of the other characters on the show paid the price for his bad decisions as well, but I couldn’t help but to keep pulling for him. I keep Jesse alive by using his favorite word whenever I can. I like calling my associates “Bitch”. It makes me laugh. Many of the people who I refer to as bitch realize that I’m quoting a funny character from a show that we all enjoyed, and others just think I’m nuts. Too bad for them, they should have seen the show.
There are, of course, real bad people out there, and (in the context of my law enforcement profession) I enjoy meeting them (and putting them in prison) almost as much as I enjoyed watching the exploits of Jesse and Walter. At the end of the day, Jesse, and other characters like him, are nothing but entertainment. The real bad guys remain.
Of late, there has also been a proliferation of videos produced by real bad guys depicting violent murder in the name of religion. The acts they commit are not new. Horrible acts have been committed all throughout the history of mankind. The new angle is the application of technology by recording and disseminating the acts. Normal people are baffled and can’t comprehend how someone could commit cold blooded murder and then have a desire to publish the recording. First of all, these terrorists are not normal people. They are evil. Having said that, they have very rational reasons (at least in their minds) for what they do. It’s very important for us to understand how they think so that we can protect ourselves.
ISIS has several main goals. They want to create a caliphate which is recognized as a legitimate state. At the same time they want to force everyone else to be exactly like them and eliminate those who aren’t (in the most recent release of the ISIS propaganda magazine Dabiq, ISIS promotes murdering other Muslims who are different from them). They also want to recruit new members to their group. Both of these desires are purchased with the limited currency of honor, respect, or legitimacy (non-tangible values). Basically, ISIS is promoting its “brand” and competing with other groups for its place in their world. The videos are designed to establish the group’s status as the “top dog” in competition with similar groups (al Qaeda, al Nusra, Hamas, etc.).
The videos aren’t just about the violence. ISIS produces slick videos for recruitment purposes. ISIS has recruited foreign fighters to its cause from around the world. Europe and North America have been especially hard hit. How does this happen? ISIS is interested in helping those who are vulnerable to radicalization down the path of radicalization. They use the videos to sell their brand. But that’s not all. ISIS recruiters troll the web searching for likely candidates for radicalization. Their tactics have been compared to those used by sexual predators and pedophiles. They search for and target the weak and susceptible, earn their trust, and then exploit them for their cause. Surprised? I don’t find it at all shocking that murderers and rapists use tactics similar to other predators.
So, how do we counter this ugly threat? Other countries are ahead of the US in their efforts to counter terror propaganda. Government and non-profits are working with at-risk communities (often Muslim) communities to educate the public on what ISIS is up to. In the last several years, our country has recognized that an important piece has been missing from our strategy — prevention. The federal government has created a program titled Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), which has been designed to be implemented at the local level. The feds are assisting local jurisdictions design and start programs which include training to familiarize law enforcement and the public on the signs of radicalization and how terror groups recruit, the creation of counter-narratives to combat terror propaganda, and diversion programs to re-channel those susceptible to radicalization back into society. These programs are designed to compliment traditional intelligence gathering and law enforcement activities. One of the strengths of the program involves the relationship building that occurs between local government and the communities they serve.
So guess what? In my jurisdiction we have been reaching out to our Muslim population and building strong relationships. We have an active CVE program. It turns out that the people we are working with aren’t happy with the terrorists any more than I’m happy about Catholic pedophile priests or bad cops. Recently, I was in Chicago. I ended up taking taxi cabs to get around. As usual, I spent the time chatting with the drivers. They all happened to be Muslims. Every single one of them told me how happy they were to have immigrated to the US and to have the opportunity to work. In the middle of one of the conversations, one driver locked eyes with me in the rear view mirror, raised his fist in the air, extended one finger up, and announced that ISIS was evil, they were not real Muslims, and that Allah was sending them all to hell. I saw from the fierce look in his eyes that he meant what he said. I, of course, agreed with him.
In closing, I’d like to sum up what ISIS is really about……evil, murdering, rapist, religion bastardizing, predators. If Jesse Pinkman was asked, I think he would announce that ISIS is “a bunch of evil bitches.”
To the evil bitches of ISIS, I would extend the following:
The men and women of the US military are coming for you on foreign soil,
My American brothers and sisters who are experts at protecting our homeland are coming for you,
We’re working with the real Muslims to take you down, and….
We know that you don’t respect women, so we wanted you to know that many of those who are coming for you are, in fact, women.
Take that, bitches.
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