How best to fight Islamic State? #tellusatoday

The White House held a summit this week on ways to fight violent extremists. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

These jihadis are self-described Islamic warriors! Until people at the summit understand who/what the enemy is, we are in serious trouble.

— Sharon Rodgers

Calling it Islamic terrorism is exactly what ISIL wants. It's that much easier to radicalize people when you can convince them we're at war with their religion.

You'd think the country learned over the past 15 years that the military alone isn't going to solve the problem.

It's not a conventional war where people put on uniforms and charge at each other. Terrorism and extremism are more insidious and decentralized. Unless you address the underlying conditions that breed this ideology, it will keep resurfacing no matter how many leaders you take out.

— Shawn Rana

People are good at making intellectual arguments. But what's being done about the carnage happening today?

Refusing to define and root out the enemy guarantees that the conflict will get worse. There is evil in this world!!

— Al Devault

Letter to the editor:

In September, President Obama declared the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, a "cancer" needing to be contained, degraded and destroyed. Strong words, and I agree with them.

However, we are also told that this "will take a long time." That troubles me. As a cancer patient, my treatment required aggressive action to contain and degrade. It might be accurate to say that if my doctors took a "long time" approach, I might not have been here to write this letter.

It has been almost six months since our president's speech. ISIL has not been contained or degraded. In fact, an argument can be made that its strength and size has expanded! Is it possible that the true "JV" team is in the White House?

Tom Tyschper; Gilbert, Ariz.

We asked our followers what can be done to prevent extremist groups from recruiting individuals.

You can't stop recruitment, but you can campaign with the truth. It worked for anti-smoking ads. People need to know the truth.

— @News4Mass

The United States should infiltrate groups thought to be a threat both here and abroad.

— @JeffOstach

Islam is a peaceful religion, and extremists who harm in the name of religion don't deserve to be called Muslim.

— @Angela_Accurso

I agree with President Obama's approach. It is the president's job to enforce laws, not to support or denounce any particular religion.

— @EdwinMarston

For more of the conversation, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday on Twitter.