Week 7 Post Discussion (for Hifsa Shakaut)

  
Current Event 
Instructions: Students will participate in the discussion and answer the question(s) provided in the current event topic
Message from student: Here is my current event for the week. Lets treat this like a think tank and provide solutions and courses of actions to solve these problems.  
https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/domestic-us-terror-threat-what-know The Domestic U.S. Terror Threat: What to Know, Council on Foreign Relations, August 6, 2019.
Here is a second very short article on the social media issues regarding the shootings. https://www.cfr.org/blog/terrorism-social-media-and-el-paso-tragedy Terrorism, Social Media, and the El Paso Tragedy, 
Council on Foreign Relations, August 6, 2019. 
In the past two (2) consecutive weeks the United States has experienced three (3) active shooter/mass killings. One here in our area. These killings bring up some volatile policy topics that have been 
debated and ignored for years. As Public Administrators we are tasked to make “tough” policy decisions that are grounded in ethics, accountable, demonstrate social responsibility, feasible, 
truthful & factual, follow the rule of law, constitutional, protect the public, and actually solve the problem.  As Public Administrators(not Politicians), How do we solve the problems that are weaved
into the fabric of these heinous crimes while providing realistic strategies and preserving our Constitutional Rights. The following are questions and reasons(I say that loosely) that have come up since these shootings took place:
· Hate groups-How do we address violent extremist groups? White Nationalism, xenophobia, Anarchist-ANTIFA, racial and ethnic prejudice.  When does Free Speech become a crime? Are there limits? Is the President’s rhetoric contributing by fanning the flames?
· How do we realistically stop the violence? Does it involve Gun Control-Universal Background Checks, High Capacity Magazines/Drums, Assault Weapons? What is your policy recommendation?
· Would reporting mental illness as a part of gun control background checks be a violation of HIPAA or the privacy act? Would it solve the problem or even make a difference?
· Is Social Media, Cyber activities, Video games, or bad parenting to blame? Does it need regulating or do we let it be a “deep web” free for all? Do we need a PATRIOT ACT LITE type of policy implementation to monitor home grown extremist groups?
· Domestic Terrorism vs. Terrorism is there a difference and are we actively doing enough to stop it?