Vail Daily letter: Terror infiltration

From a worldly perspective, now 60, I can see how this radical Islamist (can I say that?) effort to destabilize the West could well alienate the U.S. from itself.

This implosion may come from two directions:

First, the recruiting strategy for home-grown conscripts appears to be targeting the following:

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• Unemployed.

• Disaffected.

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• Marginalized.

Amid the plethora of choices within proximity to social media and word-of-mouth mediums, it appears that African Americans would be a prime target.

Second, within a religious context, those in our communities who find no solace or meaning inside Western spiritualism seek company inside their hopelessness and self-pity. The gang universe preys on such poor souls, typically father-less individuals. ISIS is a good fit for them.

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Unfortunately, should I be correct in these assumptions, and ISIS ranks fill within our neighborhoods, planes, schools and streets, with those who physically resemble said characteristics, stereotypes will develop.

Americans may, via media-programmed intuition, steer clear of such folks, wearing Muslim headgear, robes, gang apparel and appearance. This is exactly what ISIS wants — suspicion and prejudice from within. Anxious neighbor comments, employment bias, school-kid harassment, epithets, you get the drift. The benefit of the doubt will cease to exist.

Pat Mitchell

Avon