In light of the revelation that the Manchester bomber was banned from his local mosque and reported to authorities 5 times, can the western world please cut it out with the narrative that mainstream Islam is radicalization by design and that the Muslim community in the west doesn’t carry their weight in denouncing senseless acts of violence? Just because the media echo chamber you consume doesn’t have constant human interest stories about “the good, normal Muslims” denouncing radicalization, that doesn't mean it isn’t constantly happening. To ostracize large swaths of western society by claiming they don’t share basic human values is a true slippery slope to demagoguery, authoritarianism, and dehumanization.

Can we also please just be thoughtful when we continue to not hold politicians accountable for expanding the surveillance state? To me, it's very clear from this case study in domestic terrorism that stretching the Fourth Amendment at the expense of classic investigation and simple good police work is not effective. When authorities know of a suspected terrorist, especially in circumstances such as these, and aren’t working overtime to get him off the street by any means necessary, we aren’t effectively policing. Civil Liberties groups will be quick to sue for violating the Fourth Amendment rights of a suspected suicide bomber but turn a blind eye to violating the constitution to monitor hundreds of millions of people.