TERRORISM: It's in our back yard

Our country spends billions and billions of dollars on fighting terrorism in other countries. This tactic of bringing the fight to them and in turn keeping them preoccupied and focused on attacking and fighting our soldiers rather than focusing on attacking civilians is an ingenious tactic. My point of this message is not to focus on the wars overseas, but rather ask a question that has been stirring inside of me for quite some time...

Why do we spend billions to fight terrorism oversees, but we don't recognize that gangs in our country are continuing to grow, becoming more organized, better funded and more brazen than ever before? In our own country there are communities and neighborhoods from the North, South, East and West that live their lives in complete fear on a daily basis. There are actually gangs that have organized and become 10,000-plus strong in our own country. This is absolutely a failure of our national security and government, to not have recognized and more importantly not acted on these issues. I guess I just have a hard time understanding how citizens of our own country are forced to live in fear from these gangs (Homeland Terrorists). When I think of the terrorists overseas, I can't help but see similarities between our Gangs (Homeland Terrorists) here and them. Men and women, young and old, should never have to walk down their own streets in fear. If this indeed is the case, all across our nation, then in the end what are all our soldiers fighting and dying for? We need our government to acknowledge and denounce all gang activity within our country as an act of terror. The worst kind of terrorism known to this planet, in my opinion, are citizens of the same country killing and preying on their own citizens.

We have a duty and responsibility to protect ourselves from these Homeland Terrorists! How many innocent kids, elderly and people of all ages need to die before the government steps in as mighty and determined as it has on Terrorism in other countries? Our police forces are out-manned and out-gunned, in many of the larger gang infested cities. Citizens of our great country are willing to fight back, but we need legitimate and non wavering support from our government. It's time to start spending some of those billions of dollars on eradicating our own Homeland Terrorists. Enough is enough!

KEVIN ADAMS

Coeur d'Alene