If I may offer a viewpoint that may sound a little cold at first hearing ...
One of the primary tools we have to respond to "terrorism" is, as best we can, not to feel "terrified" and not to overly react. I know that is hard, and not our usual way.
For example, 911 was a great horror, with thousands killed. This is true. However, it immediately led to the news media and politicians amplifying the event 100,000 fold, showing the images again and again for months and years, scaring people with "this is the end" screaming headlines, not to mention the wars which followed. We ourselves magnified the event and made it endlessly worse beyond the horror it was, thus handing the terrorists "terror" beyond their wildest dreams. The more we were afraid and reacted so, the more the 911 attack was a success for the perpetrators.
It also led to our own alienation, divisions in society, our children being afraid. My friend Daizan wrote today, "It serves the interests of extremists to deepen alienation between Muslim and non-Muslim people. It's a good day to hug a Muslim friend and smile for a Muslim neighbor." We must show the people who wish to rip our societies apart that it has only worked to bring us closer together.
The real "enemy" here is human hate, violence, divisive thinking, and the fear in our hearts.
The smartest reaction by a society would be to take whatever security and police action is necessary to respond, but otherwise say "is that so?" and turn the other cheek and get on with life. Then the terrorists fail. I know that doing so would take a level of responsibility and maturity probably beyond the media, politicians and average citizens in western democracies right now.
Let us sit and offer Metta for all victims of war and violence ... and keep calm.
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