In the days leading up to the 13-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Thursday, Kansas Citians took to Twitter, speculating about whether the day would bring more violence, given recent anti-American killings in the Middle East.
We decided to ask our listeners, “How safe do you feel in Kansas City, 13 years after 9/11?”
In response to our question, Kansas Citians rattled off a list of domestic threats at the top of their minds on social media:
• “I'm more worried about local police than I am about a few extremists a thousand miles away,” Rebecca Glenn tells us on Facebook.
• “I am far more concerned about twenty-something males with assault rifles and anger management issues,” Ross Warnell said on Facebook.
• “I’m more scared of an active shooter or the general violence that permeates the #KC area than I am of a terrorist attack,” @katgirod says on Twitter.
• “If I feel less safe, it has to do with rise in senseless mass shootings/violent crime perpetrated by Americans on Americans,” @theshortandlong tweeted.
• “I feel less safe, but it has little to do with 9/11 and much more to do with all the reactionary gun laws,” Maril Crabtree tells us in an email.
These comments follow several acts of violence and suspicious activity in the Kansas City area.
Earlier this year, a shooter targeted Jewish centers in Johnson County, Kan., leaving three people dead.
Five people are now dead after last week’s series of shootings and assaults that went from south Kansas City, Mo., to the Northland.
And also last week, Johnson County Community College was on lockdown for hours while authorities looked for a suspicious person with a weapon. Police never found the person.
That said, several people said they still felt generally safe in the Kansas City area.
For the full Twitter conversation, follow the #TellKCUR hashtag or see other responses on our Facebook page.
Tell KCUR is part of an initiative to engage the community and shine a light on your experiences and opinions. We’ll ask a new question every week and then share your feedback on the air and online. Everyone has knowledge and insight to share. Be a source for KCUR and let us know more about your expertise.
