Recently, I read an article titled Hitler Wasn’t A Monster. The title drew me in because, like many, I completely thought Hitler was a monster. A maniac. A heartless creature whose main goal in life was just to sit back and watch the world burn. Yet, after reading this article, my whole view on life changed. I realized that Hitler wasn’t a monster; he was just a human, which is the scariest realization I've ever had.

Wouldn’t it be great if it were Dracula who shot and killed 49 innocent people at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida? Wouldn’t it be nice if the random sniper in the crowd who shot 11 police officers, five of whom ended up dead, in Dallas was Godzilla? Or, wouldn’t it just be fantastic if the driver of the truck that plowed into a crowd of people in Nice, France, which ended up killing over 80 people, was Frankenstein? Then, we would at least have a real monster to blame for all of these tragedies.

Yet, we only have other humans to blame for the destruction of humanity. Other humans just like you and me. Omar Mateen, the Orlando Nightclub shooter, was described to have lived in "an all-American family.” Although he was also described as a bully, he attended high school just like the rest of us and, honestly, what school is truly free from bullies? He voted as a member of the Democratic Party. He fell in love with not only his wife but also his son. He attended a mosque to praise the higher power he believed in. He sounds like a very similar man to many I know. Yet, I would hope beyond hope that none of the men I know would end up causing a mass extermination.

Micah Xavier Johnson, the man who killed five Dallas police officers, was an army veteran and was described as silly and incredibly smart. He was a person who was relied on to fight for our country and we praised him for it. Think of all of the national holidays we have devoted specifically for our troops. Who would have known that a person we had expected to protect us would end up betraying us in the end?

Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the murderous driver in Nice, France was described as a handsome man. Although he was also described as frightening, think of all of the scary people we know in our lives. Maybe it is your old neighbor who shakes his fist at you and yells to get off of his lawn. Maybe it is your eleventh-grade physics teacher who you swore wanted to see you fail. My point is that not all frightening people are inherently bad or commit horrifically unspeakable acts.

These terrorists did not just sit around all day every day and plan mass destruction. They likely had hobbies and pets; probably listened to music and knew a few songs on the radio. These are the kind of characteristics we forget to think about when it comes to terrorists because it's easier to basically dehumanize them. We make terrorists out to be these almighty, powerful creatures with horrendous super powers. Yet, they are just humans, which is just as, if not more terrifying.

It was a human who drove the giant truck through Nice. It was a human who single-handedly injured, some fatally, 16 Dallas police officers. It was a human who held people hostage in a nightclub and shot them. It was a human who shot 28 innocent adults and children at Sandy Hook Elementary. They were all humans who had been able to buy a gun or a knife or a giant vehicle. There were no superpowers or magic potions or radioactive spider bites involved, just a crooked sense of humanity.

Unfortunately, you can never fully tell when a human is going rogue or when they have secretly joined a hate group. Few individuals wear these organizations publicly as a badge of honor. For now, we can only increase worldwide security and teach kindness whenever we can. You never know who the next terrorist could be since they are simply humans like you and me.