Was the attack in Las Vegas terrorism? No question about that one.
Was the attack in Texas terrorism? Apparently not.
What is the difference? How do we define terrorism? When is it terrorism and when is it just a sick individual with a twisted, sick, or evil soul?
One truth is that it doesn't matter to the victims and it doesn't matter to the families. It is easier on anyone to know that some angry young man went into a church and murdered 26 people because of his relationship to his wife or former wife and/or her mother?
Again, not really.
It is important to define each attack correctly? I guess this is where my instinct separates from my heart. My heart says no - what difference does it make? People have died, others are suffering. Does the "why" matter anymore?
My instinct, my mind disagrees.
Can you stop a sick individual from taking action? Truthfully, probably not. Devin Kelley was a determined man. A lot can be said for the evil within him but the fact is, the gun he carried was not legal. All the gun control laws in the world are not going to stop someone who is determined to get his hands on a gun...at least not based on current realities in the United States.
Israel is a land with strict gun laws but we are also a society that understands that often, the only defense against a gun, is another gun. And, for the most part, the best way to minimize an attack is by having a "good" gun in place so that the "bad" gun can be neutralized more quickly. That's sort of what happened in Texas. There was a good gun there and as soon as Kelley emerged from the church, his rampage ended.
We'll never know if Kelley planned to die that day in Texas and I'm not really sure it matters.
The benefit of defining a terrorist attack over pure evil is, I believe, that terrorism can be avoided. Good police work, intelligence, and yes, some measure of gun control laws may help deter some of the crazies in this world, but terrorism is a harder thing to stop.
The crazy lunatic wanted to hit THAT church and kill members of THAT family and anyone who they cared for. A terrorist doesn't need to hit a particular place, even though he (or she) might prefer it. No, their targets are not random, as former President Barack Hussein Obama wanted you to believe, but they are flexible.
Their goal is rarely to kill a particular person in anger or revenge, but rather to advance a political goal by the use of terror. Their goal is murder and mayhem, but more, it is victory. Victory of their idea, their power to rule. But not to rule according to law and justice, but by power and fear.
And so, in their greed to spread THEIR rules, THEIR power, they hand us the potential for victory. It is impossible not to be afraid when buses are blowing up, when vans are ramming innocent people in the streets of our cities. It is impossible to wonder about maybe not going out, maybe choosing some place less public.
Terrorism can be identified by the reasons behind the action, as we could clearly see in Texas. It isn't about how many died; it isn't how horrific the murders are. Ultimately, it's the goal. Both may involve hatred, but terrorism involves gains that have little to do with revenge and more to do with manipulation.
Terrorism, ultimately, is a master attempt to manipulate and the method is typically violent. Kelley was a sick individual dedicated to revenging whatever wrongs his twisted mind identified. You defeat him by killing him; he is a martyr to none.
By contrast, a terrorist is someone who is not defeated merely by killing him because often, his life means nothing to him. So how can you defeat terrorists and terrorism. The answer is two-fold, depending on who you are.
Defeating terrorism will take a combined effort of ordinary people - like you, like me, and political leaders. In each country where this partnership is established, there may be terrorist attacks but they will not win. What are the answers?
For ordinary people, the answer is to live, to answer back with life. As they did in Manchester, as they are doing in London. As they did in Las Vegas, as we do regularly here in Israel. Life.
Was the attack in Texas terrorism? Apparently not.
What is the difference? How do we define terrorism? When is it terrorism and when is it just a sick individual with a twisted, sick, or evil soul?
One truth is that it doesn't matter to the victims and it doesn't matter to the families. It is easier on anyone to know that some angry young man went into a church and murdered 26 people because of his relationship to his wife or former wife and/or her mother?
Again, not really.
It is important to define each attack correctly? I guess this is where my instinct separates from my heart. My heart says no - what difference does it make? People have died, others are suffering. Does the "why" matter anymore?
My instinct, my mind disagrees.
Can you stop a sick individual from taking action? Truthfully, probably not. Devin Kelley was a determined man. A lot can be said for the evil within him but the fact is, the gun he carried was not legal. All the gun control laws in the world are not going to stop someone who is determined to get his hands on a gun...at least not based on current realities in the United States.
Israel is a land with strict gun laws but we are also a society that understands that often, the only defense against a gun, is another gun. And, for the most part, the best way to minimize an attack is by having a "good" gun in place so that the "bad" gun can be neutralized more quickly. That's sort of what happened in Texas. There was a good gun there and as soon as Kelley emerged from the church, his rampage ended.
We'll never know if Kelley planned to die that day in Texas and I'm not really sure it matters.
The benefit of defining a terrorist attack over pure evil is, I believe, that terrorism can be avoided. Good police work, intelligence, and yes, some measure of gun control laws may help deter some of the crazies in this world, but terrorism is a harder thing to stop.
The crazy lunatic wanted to hit THAT church and kill members of THAT family and anyone who they cared for. A terrorist doesn't need to hit a particular place, even though he (or she) might prefer it. No, their targets are not random, as former President Barack Hussein Obama wanted you to believe, but they are flexible.
Their goal is rarely to kill a particular person in anger or revenge, but rather to advance a political goal by the use of terror. Their goal is murder and mayhem, but more, it is victory. Victory of their idea, their power to rule. But not to rule according to law and justice, but by power and fear.
And so, in their greed to spread THEIR rules, THEIR power, they hand us the potential for victory. It is impossible not to be afraid when buses are blowing up, when vans are ramming innocent people in the streets of our cities. It is impossible to wonder about maybe not going out, maybe choosing some place less public.
Terrorism can be identified by the reasons behind the action, as we could clearly see in Texas. It isn't about how many died; it isn't how horrific the murders are. Ultimately, it's the goal. Both may involve hatred, but terrorism involves gains that have little to do with revenge and more to do with manipulation.
Terrorism, ultimately, is a master attempt to manipulate and the method is typically violent. Kelley was a sick individual dedicated to revenging whatever wrongs his twisted mind identified. You defeat him by killing him; he is a martyr to none.
By contrast, a terrorist is someone who is not defeated merely by killing him because often, his life means nothing to him. So how can you defeat terrorists and terrorism. The answer is two-fold, depending on who you are.
Defeating terrorism will take a combined effort of ordinary people - like you, like me, and political leaders. In each country where this partnership is established, there may be terrorist attacks but they will not win. What are the answers?
For ordinary people, the answer is to live, to answer back with life. As they did in Manchester, as they are doing in London. As they did in Las Vegas, as we do regularly here in Israel. Life.
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