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Showing posts from June, 2016

Orlando's Tragedy: Many Questions, Few Answers

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.”             Reinhold Niebuhr, theologian (1892–1971) In Orlando, Fla ., 53 people are confirmed dead and over 50 confirmed injured.  A gunman now identified as 29-year old Omar Mateen -- an American-born citizen of Afghani heritage-- apparently entered a gay-culture nightclub in the wee hours of June 12, 2016, and began a shooting rampage.  Hostages were held, and police eventually arrived on the scene.  Before the chaotic assault was over, dozens were left dead, including Mateen. Based on ongoing information released by police authorities, Mateen allegedly called 911 prior to beginning his assault, pledging an affiliation with global terror outfit ISIS. Among the far-ranging questions raised by this incident is an enduring narrative of how and why an American citizen manages to commit himself to the cause of a foreign