Where's Edward Cullen to save the day?

If I didn't have friends who lived out in Portland, I probably wouldn't have heard of the attempted terrorist attack that happened out there last Friday until I decided to turn the television on and catch up on current events (or for me, old news, considering I don't have time to brush up on news or celebrity gossip).

19 year-old Portland resident Mohamed Osman Mohamud planned on detonating a bomb in downtown Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square during the annual Christmas tree lighting on the night of November 26th. Fortunately, the FBI implemented an undercover agent who worked with Mohamud, pretending to be an overseas associate from Pakistan helping out with the attempted attack. While communicating with the undercover agent guised as an overseas associate, Mohamed knew of the repercussions of how the bomb he was going to detonate would severely injur and most likely kill those spectating the annual tree-lighting festivity. "I want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave either dead or injured", he said prior to the attempted attack. He was arrested after attempting to detonate the car bomb that was actually a dud and didn't work at all.

It's scary to know that there are still people out there who believe that their main purpose in life is to do something so heinous, knowing it would effect millions of people. In their eyes, it would probably be something done for their religion, their country, or for their own sick pleasure. But when it involves a mass attack on innocent bystanders celebrating family and holiday spirit (hell, any attack on innocent bystanders at all) is completely out of line.

Even a friend of mind from study abroad was at the tree-lighting ceremony. Knowing that just made me so scared when I found out about it. I, along with other people, could have lost someone they knew. Luckily, nothing bad happened and I'm pretty sure everyone at the event didn't know this attempt occurred until after the tree-lighting but this is still a crime that makes me think, is our country secure?

SIDENOTE
That French xc runner who runs at my college just walked through the student union with a helmet attached to her backpack. That's so badass. Granted, it may have been a standard bicycle but still, kinda cool.