Why Mall of America is still a safe place
In these last few months, people have witnessed a rise in the terrorist activity in the Middle East with the Jihadist Movement, especially a group known as Al Shabaab. Al Shabaab is a rising terrorist group that has made threats committed horrible and violent crimes. Now, they have threatened somewhere close to home. They recently released a video threatening malls and other places, specifically West Edmonton Mall, Oxford Street shopping mall and the Mall of America, which is located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Mall of America has millions of shoppers every year, many which are local people from around the metro. The question we face today is should people be scared to go to the Mall of America? With all the security and protection, the answer to that question is no.
According to the Mall of America database, over 40 million people visit this mall annually and it is as big as seven Yankee Stadiums. With all this space and people visiting and shopping, some would think this mall is not safe or it could be easily attacked but this is not the case. The reason that there have not been any large scale attacks at the Mall of America is because of the security. Security at MOA is tight: they have security officers at every door, walking around, behind the scenes and the security guards are even watching everyones’ moves. This is just one reason why people should not be scared to go to the mall.
Loading ...Junior Kate Kugler commented with her thoughts on if she would still go to Mall of America. She said, “Even with the terrorist threats, I will still go to the mall. I feel comfortable knowing that the security is being heightened, and I feel that if we react in the way the terrorists are hoping, it puts the terrorists in the position of power and gives them an incentive to continue threatening the U.S. The best way to deal with this threat, in my opinion, is to raise security and to go forth cautiously but normally.”
Along with having extra security, another reason why the Mall of America is still a safe place, is because it is located in one of the safest countries in the world. According to a study done by the Global Terrorism Index and reported by NBC news, North America is the least likely region in the world to suffer from terrorism. In the recent video Al Shabaab claimed glory for the attack on the mall in Kenya that killed 67 people, and said similar attacks will happen again. This could not happen though in America, because there are few different securities and safety measures. America is one of the safest countries from terrorism.
“Yes, I will still go [to the mall] because I want to continue my life as it was before. I don’t want to let their threat stop me from doing what I normally do and enjoy doing,” said Junior Jordan Weiss.
With all of these facts, it is clear that the Mall of America is a safe and enjoyable place for all to visit. However, people should still be aware of their surroundings and report anything unusual. Junior Tim Koenning said it best, “For one, I will still go to the mall because I trust the security and police forces to do their duty. Also, as I am very patriotic, I will not let Al Shabaab dictate what I do. That being said, however, these threats should not be taken lightly and I acknowledge there is still risk in this.”
Justin Hannasch is a senior this year. He is a Print Editor-in-Chief on the Pony Express Newspaper. Justin enjoys hockey, golf, and racing and is also...
Ahnika Kroll • Mar 30, 2015 at 4:14 pm
I am so impressed with the structure of this article. Your points were clear and your quotes were so on point to back up the main idea of the article. Your voice was present, but not overwhelming and I liked how you were able to report the facts in a way the reader could easily understand though the general structure of the middle east and its radical groups can be confusing to even experts on the subject.