Today, I presented a lecture titled “The Lone Wolf Terrorists – Patterns of Radicalization.” I compared the upbringing of Timothy McVeigh, Eric Robert Rudolph, and Theodore Kaczsinky. I looked for patterns that could exhibit warning signs that each of them had in common. My main source was a post-graduate paper written by an individual at the Naval Postgraduate School and he did most of the research, but I also read the indictments of each of these individuals and their plea agreements. I’ve studied their manifestos, and I’ve reached my own conclusions. Every one of their actions could have been prevented if society had paid them any attention. The conversion time of radicalization was huge for each of them. It was over four years from the defining factor in McVeigh’s life when he first took action. It was over eight for Rudolph, and over nine for Kaczsinky. All of these individuals had certain things in common: self-proclaimed survivalists, isolated individuals, broken homes, and they all desired to be accepted. Since they all tried to join groups and failed in each of their attempts, they created their own group and started bombing places in the name of God. Interesting notes: McVeigh actually drove to Waco, Texas in order to express support for Branch Davidians. He was selling bumper stickers out of the trunk of his car in order to raise money to assist them. Rudolph was home-schooled and grew up playing games in the woods where he and his cousin would track each other during a game of “hide and seek on steroids.” Kaczsinky desired touching a woman so much that he was strongly considering a sex change in order to finally experience a woman’s touch when he touched himself. I spent much of my childhood as a loner. I didn’t have many friends, if any true friends at all. I’ve always felt like I’m smarter than everyone else and the reason I’ve done drugs and alcohol throughout my life is in order to get me on the same level as everyone else. Comparing these three men, I found myself scared that I was poised to have the same mindset. If it weren’t for a great high school experience, APO in college, serving as APO staff after I completed my time at CUA, and my success in the Fire/EMT department, I would probably be right where they are. Where does this leave us? What have we learned? I full-heartedly believe that it takes a village to raise an idiot, and everyone deserves to have a friend in life. Even if it doesn’t seem right or doesn’t seem natural, people should reach out to those that have been cast aside from society as long as you are not putting your personal safety in jeopardy. Reach out to someone if you think they are in need. Sometimes, all someone needs is for another person to listen. Maybe you don’t have the answers. Maybe you don’t know how to help them resolve their problems. However, if you listen to them, maybe all they need is to have someone to talk through their problems with. Someone intervened in my life and showed me that they cared about me, and it made all of the difference in my world. Who’s world can you impact?