[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I said as the 'buzzword' decapitation had been used it was understandable for some to establish an initial theory is all.
To engage the public and request their support in counter terrorism, industrial espionage and being aware generally of suspicious behaviour has been requested many times as far back as WW1...
Being aware of a potential threat isn't living in fear... being ignorant to the fact there is a threat is scary.
I don't appreciate it being alluded to that those who are vigilant and aware of the threat are 'stupid', radicalisation of homegrown disenfranchised young people is real and the impact on communities and society as a whole immense.

You stick your head in that carrier bag, make sure you remove it from the sand first.

The intention of terrorism is to create a culture of fear and the constant media undercurrent that wants to link absolutely everything to "Terrorism" or "Radical Islam" plays right into that culture of fear, thereby ensuring the success of terrorism itself. It is "understandable" for some to create that link, but it's only understandable because of the preceeding media chatter surrounding decapitation in warzones. If we hadn't seen these news stories in recent weeks, would many people have heard about this poor woman and immediately started to bleat "teeeerrrrrrrorism!!"? I very much doubt it. Because logically, there is clearly no link, other than perhaps that an already disturbed individual has taken these news events as some sort of twisted inspiration.

The idea that we all need to be extra vigilant and on the lookout for explosives throughout the day is also ludicrous. Like seeing people visibly **** themselves every time they saw a black person sneeze during the "Ebola outbreak". Which is, of course, no more or less contained now than it was two weeks ago, but y'know... It's not too skaywee anymore because it's on page 7 now and beheading and bombs are in the headlines, so that's the scary thing now innit?

Again, it all plays right into that paranoia and fear culture, which all too often then ends up spiraling into xenophobia and casual racism, further alienating individuals and strengthening ACTUAL terrorist rhetoric.