Cynical question

[supergee]

What do they call it when it's just like terrorism only white Christians do it?

Comments

[bcholmes]

"An isolated incident."

[brewsternorth]

"The random act of a disturbed person."

[brewsternorth]

Or: "the war on [insert noun]."

[holyoutlaw]

Amusing the similarity of answers.

[gothgeekgirl]

Honestly? I think that the various abortion clinic bombings and doctor murders are probably usually conspiracy driven terrorsist acts, and I would like to see them so labelled. The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist act. Everything I've read about the Westboro Baptist Church tells me they're in it for the attention and money (I've read that many of them are lawyers who will sue anyone who assaults them). The rest AFAICT are random individuals, disturbed or otherwise.

[gothgeekgirl]

Having now read Digby's list of "isolated incidents", I'd say that some of them are terrorist acts or plans and some are random folks gone 'round the bend. None of them appear to be the work of large terrorist organizations the likes of the IRA, the Irgun or Hammas.

It occurs to me that we're seeing a meaning shift here. I'm realizing that I currently automatically interpret the word "terrorist" as someone who's part of a large organization without also including those who act on their own. If I'm doing that, how much more so is J. Random Humanoid, who isn't aware that there are fnords out there to not see?