The Paris attacks and other recent terrorism requires the United States to "realize that this enemy's here to stay," former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik told
Newsmax TV on Tuesday.
"The further we get away from Sept. 11, the more complacent we get, the less vigilant we get," Kerik, who commanded the city's force during the attacks, told "The Hard Line" host Ed Berliner. "It takes unfortunately horrific reminders for us to get back into focus.
"Nobody should be surprised by Paris. Nobody should be surprised by Mali — and nobody should be surprised if it happened again this evening somewhere in the United States.
"The problem is we lose our vigilance the further we get away from these events," Kerik added. "We have to realize this enemy's here to stay, it's not going anywhere and we've got to fight it.
"We've got to fight it abroad. If we don't fight it abroad, we're going to fight it here."
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But terrorism fears should not become so overbearing that it stops Americans from celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, Kerik said.
"We want people not to be numb, to be vigilant, but we also want them to go about their business.
"I'm going to have my kids. If they want to go to the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, they're going," he told Berliner. "If I want to go out shopping or to a restaurant, we have to get beyond this fear.
"Put the politics aside. I'm sick of the politicians and the politics. Put that aside.
"The reality is there's a threat there that we have to face, a reality of it — and we have to live our lives," Kerik said. "Because if we don't, we cower and we give into the terrorists and what they really want."
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