Tag Archives: Mall of America

business news, entertainment news

Not just a ‘mall’

MINNEAPOLIS — Many of you have seen something like this already. If so, then just bear with me for a moment as I share this brief note about something I’d heard about but had never seen up close and personal.

The Mall of America sits right across the highway from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. We came here during the middle of a work week. The place was packed. I am led to believe, therefore, that this shopping extravaganza is some sort of destination for travelers.

It’s likely the largest shopping mall on Planet Earth. And, oh man, it is an impressive display of conspicuous consumption.

We walked into the heart of the Mall of America and noticed a Ferris wheel, a zip line, a roller coaster and assorted other smaller rides for the hundreds of children running around the place like little banshees.

My wife and I came here to visit my cousin and her husband. The Mall of America was on their list of sights to see. I normally am not a “mall guy,” but this place is utterly breathtaking. It’s not that it’s a marvelous place to, um, shop. It’s the size of the place that is so damn stunning.

A friend of mine who used to write for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune once called the Mall of America “the place that covers all of southern Minnesota.” I am beginning to believe that description is closer to the truth than I ever expected.

We had lunch at a noisy restaurant. Walked around the place a bit and then left.

Shopping malls are meant, I always thought, to provide a place for folks to buy all different types of merchandise under one roof.

But … zip lines and roller coasters? Holy cow!

International news, national news

Vigilance required … even right here

If the 9/11 attacks more than a dozen years ago taught Americans anything it all, they should teach us to be on high alert no matter where we live and what we’re doing.

Thus, warnings to mall shoppers have gone out across the country in the wake of a threat made against The Mall of America by an al-Qaeda affiliate, Al-Shabaab.

Yes, that means Westgate Mall in little ol’ Amarillo, Texas.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/21/us/al-shabaab-calls-for-mall-attacks/index.html

Al-Shabaab has threatened to strike malls in three western countries. Department of Homeland Security officials take the threat seriously. The Mall of America is in Minneapolis, which is home to a large Somali immigrant population. The Twin Cities region also reportedly has produced many recruits who’ve signed up to fight with Islamic State and other terrorist organizations.

Make no mistake, these threats go right to the heart of where we need to be alert. Malls represent — to many people around the world — some elements of American excess. Americans, of course, do not see it that way, nor should we. Do we stop doing business at these places just because a terrorist group has leveled a threat? Of course not.

But these monstrous organizations have shown how seriously the world must take their threats.

The 9/11 assault should stand as proof that these organizations mean business.