What is a terrorist?
Despite authoritarian attempts to redefine the term, it’s not a saboteur (who engages in property destruction), and it’s not a citizen who engages in nonviolent civil disobedience. It’s someone or some entity who threatens or engages in violence to intimidate others into bending to his (yes, almost always “his”) dictates.
Let’s take a look at Ferguson, Missouri. Militarized police killing civilians. Shots to the back of the head. Cops in body armor pointing automatic weapons at civilians, and sometimes firing on them. This is terrorism.
Let’s look at Gaza. One Israeli child reportedly killed by Hamas’s glorified fireworks, 400 to 500 Palestinian children killed by Israeli bombs. Another thousand with life-altering injuries: paraplegia, quadraplegia, limbs blown off. Families living in dread of the next bomb tearing their children apart. This is terrorism. (And, yes, Hamas’s use of crude rockets qualifies, too.)
Let’s look at Syria and Iraq. ISIS, murdering Christians who refuse to convert. Murdering journalists. This is terrorism.
What to do with terrorists? First, recognize what terrorism is. After we’ve recognized what it is, let’s talk about how to deal with it and those who perpetrate it.
Let’s stop pretending that anyone you dislike is a “terrorist.” Let’s reserve the term for those who kill people and threaten to kill people. Only then can we deal with the problem.
Sharp and Pointed 