"When are they going to start calling him a terrorist?"

[elias49]

This was uttered by my 16 year old daughter when she returned from school today, and I had the TEEVEE on, half listening to the latest reports from Tuscon. I didn't have a quick answer for her.
I still don't have a good answer 2 hours later.
And I wonder, Would it make a difference? Does it matter? Would it be appropriate?
What do you think?

[PoliticAverse]

1. What would you say the definition of "terrorist" is ? n/t

[elias49]

5. Not sure, which is part of my difficulty in answering the ?

I did a quick search - 'terrorist' define - and got this from Wikipedia, which seems fairly solid:

"Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for a religious, political or ideological goal, deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians), and are committed by non-government agencies."

But that's why I throw this out. I'm asking for input.
Would calling him a terrorist point out the folly of using the term "terrorist" as glibly as the press is so fond of doing...
In the current lexicon of the 21st century, 'terrorist' has developed a particularly venal life of its own.
It's almost as bad as calling someone a pedophile.
Indeed, language is an important tool of social engineering.

[PoliticAverse]

8. Does he fit the definition of 'terrorist' or just the definition of 'mass murderer'?

Do we need to know more about what his thinking/intention was ?

[bemildred]

13. It does not appear to mean anything at all any more.

It has been reduced to empty political cant, a name to call people you want to pursue outside the legal process. A Bushism.

[Whisp]

19. the definition of a terrorist is the colour of his/her skin. n/t

[cali]

2. He's psychotic.

I don't know that it helps anything to call him a terrorist.

[elias49]

6. Sure seems psychotic to ME. But I have a problem w/'terrorism'

as a meme that needs to be corralled. Maybe if the term were OVERUSED it might have a blunting effect on the power of fear which has this country involved in (at least) two wars with a half-dozen more on the shelf.
Let's try to help the psychos of this world and let's stop being afraid.

(I've gone far astray of the original OP, but wanted that out. I'm done.) :hi:

[slackmaster]

3. As soon as someone establishes that he did what he did for some other reason than being mentally ill

Until then, he's just a deranged psychotic.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. If he had happened to be of the Muslim faith, it would have been all over the airwaves already....

"TERRORIST! TERRORIST! TERRORIST!" headlines on every paper, even if he had been recently released from a mental institution.

[bdamomma]

10. you bet, but when are they going to realize this is domestic terrorism

and now they are looking at the Mental Health Issues, which is sorely lacking in the US, didn't they say the same thing about the guy who shot and killed all those people at Virginia Tech saying he suffered from a mental illness also who slipped through the cracks. So many factors, too many guns and too much hate.

[lumberjack_jeff]

7. When they establish his intent was to pursue political goals.

My opinion; not a terrorist.

[NoGOPZone]

9. So we should refrain from calling him psychotic until he undergoes

a mental health evaluation, correct?

[MadHound]

11. He already has undergone a mental health evaluation, and was found wanting.

The incidents with Loughner and Pima Community College caused them to suspend Loughner indefinitely until he could come back with an evaluation from a psychiatrist or psychologist stating that he wasn't dangerous. In this litigious society of ours, and knowing how the administration of colleges work, Pima almost certainly called in a mental health expert to do either an informal, or more likely formal, mental health evaluation, one that found him severely disturbed.

[NoGOPZone]

14. Wiki says he stopped school rather than undergo an evaluation

and your statement about what Pima did and the conclusions reached appear to be conjecture, even if we accept the implication that terms like 'found wanting' equates to psychosis.

[eissa]

12. When he declares he's a musllim

Apparently, they're the only terrorists. Everyone else is a deranged psycho loner.

[BrklynLiberal]

15. BINGO!

[DCKit]

16. Never. If it ever comes out that he's a Tea Bagger, they're in for some shit. nt

[unblock]

17. for that matter, when are they going to declare obama bin laden mentally unstable?

no, all those muslins in furrin countries are evil and malicious, but perfectly sane.
they couldn't possibly be psychotic or delusional or schizophrenic.

but a white amurikan who shoots up a congresswoman with a "(d)" following her name, along with a bunch of people who would (gasp!) listen to her? gotta by looney tunes.

[Catherina]

18. When are we going to start calling the leadership of this country terrorists?

How many MILLIONS of people have we killed, maimed, orphaned, traumatized?

It makes no difference what we call Loughner if the real terrorists aren't called what they are, with no more bullshit apologies for the terror they inflict on innocent people with our tax dollars.