Disconnect Between Real-world Anti-terrorism Training and Pronouns

We are in serious trouble!

Consider me fortunate – or so I initially thought – to have been one of several reporters granted admission to a U.S. government counter-terrorism course involving several agencies and military personnel without charge and in the comforts of my home and office.

As a participant, unbiased insights are what I expected, but what unfolded left me with a different reality. However, what I encountered was beyond real-world training; it was a journey into the subtle realms of ideological influence or propaganda.

The course began with an unsettling tone with a forceful promotion of cultural relativism, coupled with a deliberate absence of opposing viewpoints during discussions on the definition of terrorism. The departure from an objective educational approach raised immediate red flags.

The mandatory inclusion of pronoun training appeared disconnected from the practicalities of preventing or responding to terror attacks. In the face of potential threats like terror attacks, knife assaults, or gun violence, the relevance of forced pronoun training becomes questionable.

This mismatch highlights a potential disconnect between classroom training and the critical skills needed to counter acts of terrorism. The course became a contentious point of discussion, prompting my reservations about the integrity of the course content.

Further, the exploration of the Israel-Hamas conflict heightened my concerns as a speaker presented the Jewish State as the aggressor when Hamas attacked Israel first. Most frightening was that no one argued the point, and each sat quietly like good little boys and girls, minding the teacher.

What also struck me was the apparent downplaying of Islamic extremism, with a disproportionate emphasis on right-wing extremism. Not once did I hear anything negative about the Taliban, al-Qaeda, or Hezbollah, but podcaster Joe Rogan was named an example of a right-wing extremist, and he has, as far as I know, never picked up a firearm, rocket-propelled grenade, or donned a vest-bomb and killed people.

Finally, following continued warnings from the U.S. State Department about the expectation of Hezbollah striking within America’s mainland adds an urgency to my concern. The training lacks a comprehensive, unbiased approach to counter-terrorism, raising questions about our preparedness to address real threats and the safety of the United States and its allies.