Not even the Atlantic Ocean separating Northeast Wisconsin from Manchester, where the terrorist attacked happened, could drown out the feelings of helplessness Tuesday across our region.
"For someone to do something like that at a concert with a bunch of kids, that's heartbreaking, that's sad," said Cedrik Clay of Green Bay.
ISIS quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, believed to have been conducted by a 22-year-old with ties to Libya.
"We have to remember what it's like to be young," said Eric Morgan, professor of Democracy and Justice Studies at UWGB. "Unfortunately there are some men who are drawn to these radical ideologies that basically ask people to wage war against the entire world."
The attack, where a US pop star took the stage, was more than likely thoroughly planned out, according to Morgan.
"What a better symbol for the excesses of the west and capitalism than at a rock show, absolutely not random," Morgan explained. "These organizations, whether Al Qaeda or ISIS or terrorist organizations, nothing is random, everything is symbolic."
As this war continues with no apparent battle lines, people across the globe will continue struggling with what exactly is trying to be accomplished.
"They're hitting us in a spot that is dramatically going to hurt us because those are kids, they don't know nothing about religion," said Clay.
Morgan also added that terrorists are typically drawn to acts of violence in times of extreme crisis.
