Think About It --- Terrorist Alert!

Resources Think About It --- Terrorist Alert!
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Carl Chinn

Carl Chinn

Jun 28, 2025

In the 9/11 ten year anniversary season (14 years ago), mindsets varied from disregard, to Y2K-like hype, concerning the potential of terrorists striking churches.

Somewhere between complete disregard and knocking anyone who looks, sounds or votes different than you to the ground, is common sense security management.

Federal security standards define noteworthy suspicious behavior as, "observed behavior reasonably indicative of preoperational planning related to terrorism or other criminal activity." Setting in a downtown Denver coffee shop on the 10^th anniversary of 9/11 (which was a Sunday), I looked around the establishment and spotted a guy in a trench coat fitting that description.

But I didn’t call the FBI hot line. Nor did I tackle him and tie him up. But I did remain alert and did have a plan.

One of my entertainment favorites is the 1980 movie, “The Mountain Men” (starring Charlton Hesston as Bill Tyler, Brian Keith as Henry Frapp and John Glover as Nathaniel Wyatt). Tyler and Frapp are cast as seasoned hard mountain men and Wyatt as a soft greenhorn pilgrim trying to make it west, across the rugged Rockies.

One of my favorite scenes, is Wyatt being startled in the dark wilderness night by sounds, then telling Tyler and Frapp (in a frantic loud whisper that could get you killed), “there’s something out there!” Tyler doesn’t move but whispers calmly, “Of course, there’s something out there. There’s always something out there.” What Wyatt didn't know was that Tyler already knew it was Indians stealing their horses.

We have progressed in security as a nation since 9/11 due significantly to awareness that has successfully deterred more major terrorist attacks. While there may not be anything specifically known as a local threat in your area, do not let your guard down on Sunday 6/29 or any other Sunday.

Make certain you remain ready, willing and able for all threats great and small.

It’s a good season right now to error on the safe side. There is a ton of chatter out there right now. It is only a matter of time before we see a terrorist type attack on a faith-based organization on American soil. It could be a foreign terrorist, a domestic knucklehead influenced by foreign radicalization, or a homegrown violent extremist.

But it is coming.

Think About it…

Of course, there’s something out there – there’s always something out there.

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