Dumbfounded by the naiveté of a world transfixed on many fronts by the horrors of terrorism, including recent happenings in Paris, many are seemingly paralyzed, showing a tepid response to its realities.

First, terror is not just an Islamic jihadist modus operandi using weapons of mass coercion,  but is also reflected in gang warfare, which at one time was restricted to the concrete jungles of the ghetto. The gangs entering illegally are part of this net. It also encompasses dictators who squander foreign donations of food and medical assistance, leaving their people subject to the vultures of greed. Terrorism is a heat-seeking missile taking aim at festering fear, religious intolerance and envy of the perceived advantages of the rich instead of working for what one needs. It promotes insecurity on all fronts both personally and in one’s surrounding world.  It turns people against their brothers.

Second, the pseudo-ideology of religious extremism such as ISIL would have you believe that it is the call of Allah to form a caliphate in His name. God doesn’t need their help when at His disposal are natural disasters or substantive infrastructure flaws which can reek the same massive destruction without a moment’s notice or crony capitalism.

Third, going to the slaughter at the hands of one’s enemies will see lambs unnecessarily slain in the mistaken notation that there is something grand and noble in allowing oneself to be killed.  As the biblical Queen Esther demanded for her people, the right to self-defense mitigates against the annihilation of a people. Preserve the 2nd Amendment and protect yourself.

Fourth, the mindset of a terrorist is not to bargain with you but solely to search you out and destroy you. Failure to comply in full measure is their captive’s death sentence. For a Jew whose way of life is inextricably bound to his religion, retaliation for attacks is a must and strikes will be met with counterstrikes. To ask something different is to misunderstand our call to God.

Bombing alone can’t solve the problem of terrorism, and the collateral damage will be significant. As Israel demonstrated against the terrorists who killed that nation’s athletes and learned from the Nazi assaults on our person, such actions were responded to by search and destroy missions, if necessary to the ends of the Earth to eliminate those who would do evil. This is more than the Darwinian concept of the survival of the fittest. This “kill or be killed” mindset, though harsh, reflects a take-no-prisoners mentality which removes the cancer one cell at a time.

Lastly, I learned as a back-up psychologist for a secured Oak Ridge, Tenn., facility that when faced with a terrorist, the timid shall be devoured and destroyed. Those who are bashful about asserting force erroneously think they are deferring the fight for another day when they aren’t likely to be involved.

Terrorist cells are already significantly in the USA and will not attack where most may think, i.e., Washington, DC; Chicago, etc. Unprotected small towns, nuclear power plants, subways or any place where massive numbers may be trapped and made to suffer are good targets. So too are symbols like the Statue of Liberty or the Washington Monument which are open to the public. The Twin Towers were hit not once but twice, appreciating that located there was the largest communications apparatus for North and South America as well as a reported gold storage rivaling Fort Knox. Attacking water towers, schools and small towns would make a statement, and the lower level security for these locations may mean the innocent will continue to bear the brunt of terrorism’s brutality. Confidence in our police forces’ ability to do their jobs is essential to maintain order in this society where all lives must matter.

Note the lack of advancement of ISIL forces into the guts of Israel. They know that such would involve recriminations which will scorch their lands and possibly annihilate many. Unlike Israel, this nation and others strictly depending on volunteers for protection should rethink conscription, with few waivers for its citizens — all of whom benefit from our great society. This could restore patriotism to a new level and give us future leaders who have trained and led from the front, not behind. Those citizens or visitors in our land who serve ISIL or other terrorists’ forces should be treated as traitors, eliminated and never allowed foot on these sacred grounds again.

To expand an essential scripture for our nation’s citizens, “Greater love hath no man” than this, that he be willing to lay down his life for his nation to preserve its freedoms for all.

Dr. Ada M. Fisher is the NC Republican National Committee Woman. Email: DrFisher@getadoctorinthehouse.com.