How does an 18 year old become a terror suspect...?

[myturn]

It just makes me sad. So sad that in our country we have young people feel so disconnected that they think that's a viable option

[Catastrophic]

I think it's more their environment they have grown up in. Can't really blame him. He's probably had it drilled into his head all his life...

Very sad - and very scary that it's happening so close to home

[Jaycee]

Completely agree with Cat. Also feeling very uneasy with regard to the goings on of the last few weeks.

[dinky]

I have to agree this is scary times, especially with it now happening right here, literally down the road from home! Makes you really think about everything and everyone! Its really sad that someone so young has now lost his life for what???

[AnyDream]

I agree this is a tragedy. But I do think it should be reported entirely without the use of the word TERROR. Disaffected youth, extremist political views, surveillance, suspicion, violent altercation. Where's the TERROR?

Be alert, people - there are political agendas at play that want you to be scared. They are going to do everything in their power to attach loaded words like TERROR and TERRORIST and THREAT to events and circumstances that have, in other times, been handled more discretely. Yes there are crazies out there, but there's a difference between responding appropriately, and fear-mongering

[Melbournemumma]

A terrorist is someone who instils a sense of fear in his/her victims. By this definition nearly every country has committed acts of terror. An abusive husband reins terror on his family! The timing all seems very convenient for the government really. Raise our alert level and all of a sudden all these terror threats and potential 'terrorists' are here in our backyard. Also becomes a very acceptable way to justify harsh treatment of asylum seekers. I always take everything with a grain of salt!!

[myturn]

See I'm not convinced that they all grow up with it. Definitely some do. No doubt. But I watched an episode of insight on the ABC and there were some people on there taking about their children going online and connecting with these groups. The parents were saying that they came to Australia to escape all of these things, and have opportunities they couldn't in their home country... And yet, here they were reporting their own children to the police.

I guess todays news is right around the corner from me. The helicopters overhead all morning. I can't imagine the typical families that live nearby ending up this way.

I mean, I can intellectually see how it ends up this way, it is just so sad that it does. We need to work out how we can ensure all young people, no matter what their background, feel safe and connected to the community and the country. They all belong.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

This happened 1.5km from our house. Way too close for comfort... The shopping centre was very quiet today.

[Teeki]

I couldn't agree more with MD & MM. If they're going to go around calling this young man a terror suspect, they should be doing the same of everyone arrested under similar circumstances. Why wasn't the guy who opened fire in a cinema a terrorist? I can't think of anything much more terrifying than that.

As for how a young Australian comes to hold an extremist view that is so against the country he/she lives in, I don't know. Maybe they haven't been well accepted by the Australians around them and have reached out for something from 'home'. Maybe it is a family influence. I guess there could be any number of reasons, and if they find extremists who seem to be understanding, who want to listen to them and show them a better way, at a young age it would be very easy to take it all in and believe it.

[Phteven]

I think it's more their environment they have grown up in. Can't really blame him. He's probably had it drilled into his head all his life...

Yep. That's what we Muslims do. Raise our children to be terrorists.
Or maybe, being the target of constant racist drivel made him angry enough to turn to violence.

Personally, I'm fed up with up with this **** and if I were to encounter Tony Abbot or any other fear-mongering ****wit in a lift I wouldn't hesitate to kick them right in thier babymaker.

[Catastrophic]

I didn't mention anything about Muslims...

I say that nurture has a lot to do with way children are brought up... Any child of any race...

[Livinthedream]

Yep. That's what we Muslims do. Raise our children to be terrorists.
Or maybe, being the target of constant racist drivel made him angry enough to turn to violence.

Personally, I'm fed up with up with this **** and if I were to encounter Tony Abbot or any other fear-mongering ****wit in a lift I wouldn't hesitate to kick them right in thier babymaker.

I suspect that you are not alone here.
Much of the anti Muslim anti Islam sentiment that was popping up of my Facebook feed had been replaced with much more reasoned arguments about who IS is and who supports them.
Either that, or I just finally managed to delete the last of the a$$holes who were on my "friends" list. Lol

[nothing2lose]

Disenfranchised, disaffected young person living in the outer, lower socio-economic suburbs of Melbourne. A "Have Not". Probably underemployed, probably feels jibbed that his life isn't as good/bountiful as the ads say it should be. Feels "different" or less accepted due to religion and/or ethnicity or other demographic. Young male with brain not yet fully formed, awash with hormones, not sure how to productively deal with feelings of anger and alienation. Once upon a time would have joined a gang, hooned around the street in a stolen car, vandalised bus stops, etc....but instead found a sense of belonging with a group of like-minded thugs hiding behind religion to "legitimise" their anti-social behaviour.
No different to bikies, nationalist/racist groups, car hoons, etc, etc, etc....

I live in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. I see these disenfranchised teens all the time. They might express their disillusionment and anger in a different way but they are all the same underneath IMO.

[Jaycee]

Yep. That's what we Muslims do. Raise our children to be terrorists.

Where did anyone mention Muslims? I understand this is an emotive topic but I'm sick of others adding in words that are clearly not there. No one has mentioned a specific race, or religion, or anything along those lines.

[Lenny]

How tough it must be to spend your life subjected to abuse, sideways glances, misunderstanding, just because of what you wear, what you believe or what you look like.
Muslim, Sudanese, Aboriginal, even transgender youth to name just a few. How exhausting and demoralising to know that so many people have you summed up before you even open your mouth. Enough to make you want to give up before you even try. For some, their parents have probably been through the same, or even some worse form of hell. No wonder you want to stick together with those who understand what it's like. No wonder you are angry and feel shut out, different, unwanted, misunderstood. Paradise lost.

[onthefly]

Remove the terror label, and I would have assumed disaffected youth with mental health issues. The other stuff may or may not be relevant.
I would say probably the greatest terror threat suffered by Australians day to day is domestic violence.

[nothing2lose]

Same same but different...

Robina shopping mall 'gunman' meant to kill: court

[Phteven]

Also feeling very uneasy with regard to the goings on of the last few weeks.

If your comments have nothing to do with Muslims, which "goings on" are you referring to? The nude photo hacking scandal? The Scottish referendum?

Personally I know nothing much about this young man so anything I may think about his state of mind is speculation but from what I do know, one of his basic human rights, the right to freedom of passage, was removed from him on suspicion, without any charges or trial. I would be pretty ****ed off if I was in his shoes.