Chemical agents play an extremely dangerous role for homeland security.? As the United States Department of Homeland Securi

The response must be 200 words and use at least 2 scholarly citation(s) in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include texts, articles, presentations, the Bible, blogs, videos, etc.

Textbook:

Johnson, T. A. (2015). Cybersecurity: Protecting critical infrastructures from cyber attack and cyber warfare.Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN: 9781482239225.

Pichtel, J. (2016). Terrorism and WMDs (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN: 9781498738989.

**MEGAN***

Chemical agents play an extremely dangerous role for homeland security.  As the United States Department of Homeland Security has explained, there is a fair amount of accessibility to these weapons.  Three types of chemical agents include military use, toxic products for commercial use that are weaponized, and biological origin that become chemical toxins (U.S Department of Homeland Security, 2021).  Each of these weapons becomes a problem because they do not need to be brought into the United States, a lot can be found already here and if they fall into the wrong hands could pose a great threat for the individuals in the United States.  Of the chemical agents that are available for use, nerve agents seem to be the most viable as a weapon.  Being exposed to this type of gas can cause death by asphyxiation, convulsions and involuntary bathroom usage (Pichtel, 2016). Another important point about nerve agents is the ease with which they are used.  These nerve agents can even be dissolved through the skin, making it impossible to know that it is taking effect.  Ultimately, an advantage is had by the attacker if the attack goes unnoticed until it may be too late.

            On a similar note, explosive hazards definitely play a role in Homeland Security in the United States.  Explosive hazards include but are not limited to any device that explodes and does damage to a surrounding area (Pichtel, 2016).  Explosive agents are all dangerous, but one that is extremely viable as a weapon is an IED create by an enemy.  Although individuals attempting to build these vessels may not know the exact science and may not make a working explosive, these can sometimes be more dangerous.  If the individual does not know how to make these weapons and causes an accidental explosion that was not intended, a lot of innocent individuals may be harmed.  Therefore, these weapons may be the most dangerous of all explosive hazards.

            Finally, the main goal of Homeland Security is to protect the individuals who reside in the United States from any danger, including toxic chemicals.  By definition, toxic chemicals are those that are created in commercial factories, used by individuals in everyday life (Pichtel, 2016).  However, if these substances are weaponized, they could become seriously dangerous.  Arguably, these weapons pose the biggest risk and should be the biggest concern to the Department of Homeland Security.  Not only are these weapons readily available for the general public, there is little limitations on the amount of substances that individuals can possess.  Therefore, a terrorist organization could possess a large quantity of these chemicals and could use these to build big explosions or cause a lot of damage.  Ultimately, chemical agents, explosive hazards and toxic chemicals are all risks to the citizens of the United States and should be taken seriously by Homeland Security.

            When discussing these types of weapons, the Holy Bible can be used to offer some support and guidance.  One verse in the Holy Bible that relates reads, “deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked” (King James Bible, 1769/2021, Psalms 82:4).  This verse indicates the importance of protecting individuals who are unable to protect themselves.  More specifically, homeland security should always promote the safety of citizens of the United States and doing so follows the teaching of the Holy Bible.