Christopher Cervantes
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There are certain things that seem to strike a heavy chord with a majority of the public. For example, any crime or violent act done to a child is seen as especially heinous, and the aftershock of a tragedy is amplified by the number of individuals affected by it. For over a decade now, 9/11 has been cemented in the memory of the American people as one of our most tragic national moments. It is a day of remembrance to those who needlessly lost their lives, due to the ill intentions of truly evil men.
But this year, on Sept. 10, 20-year-old Joshua Goldberg was apprehended because of allegedly planning to place a bomb at the 9/11-memorial event in Kansas City, Missouri. Goldberg had been conversing with an FBI informant since July and gave specific instructions on how to build a pressure cooker bomb filled with various shrapnel. This is not the only plot Goldberg is accused of. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, he had been formulating an attack in Australia. To accomplish both of these tasks, Goldberg posed as an ISIS jihadist and was known for posting pro-Islamic extremist messages on social media.
According to a source at the Kansas City Star, Goldberg was “a troll” and “all talk.” This has sparked discussion on whether or not these apparent threats should be taken seriously or treated as if they were merely the thoughts of a young adult.
It would be foolish and irresponsible to not take this threat seriously.
It is only by luck that Goldberg was caught. He made the mistake of contacting an FBI informant as his would-be accomplice. Had it been another person, one with a similar mindset, the United States could have faced another potential disaster. Furthermore, if a more capable person had thought of his ideas, then there is a good chance that the planned act of terrorism would have become a reality. Sadly, that is not the most disturbing part of this story.
This entire operation of his wasn’t just created on any random day, but specifically planned around the anniversary of 9/11. Not only that, but he attempted to do so with an explosive designed to mimic that used in the infamous Boston Marathon bombing. Goldberg wanted to damage the morale and spirit of not only the families of the deceased, but the entirety of the American people. His cruel intentions, no matter how actual they may have been, were truly dangerous.
Goldberg should only be shown leniency if, and only if, his mental state dictates it. If he is found to be mentally sound, then he should face the harshest penalty available for his charges. For us to simply pass him off as some type of prankster would be disgraceful to the memories of the fallen Americans who lost their lives on that fateful September morning.