So killing a CEO is "terrorism", but mass shootings of school children aren't

[HereForTheParty]

The word "terrorism" doesn't mean a damn thing.

The pearl clutching over that immoral money grubber is nauseating.

[Johonny]

1. They want you terrorized.

People voting out of fear is their whole thing

[Skittles]

2. gun humping murderers are indeed terrorists

fuck them all

[Kaleva]

4. Yes

[Igel]

3. Well, actually it does.

And very often we don't like what falls under the meaning of a word and what doesn't.

This pretty much sums up my understanding of the difference:

The use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political goals.
The act of terrorizing, or state of being terrorized; a mode of government by terror or intimidation.
The practise of coercing governments to accede to political demands by committing violence on civilian targets; any similar use of violence to achieve goals.

You go and kill 20 people because it's a gang fight or you're pissed off and just want people dead or want vengeance, you're a murderer.

You go and kill 1 person to make a statement and scare the government, populace, or some defined group to bow to your demands or at least pay attention, you're a terrorist.

The more I hear the less I can determine a personal grudge that motivated Mangione to kill the UHC CEO. It's more like he's striking a symbol to promote change and rouse the masses. I've come to think that Mangione was a domestic terrorist. But not ruling out (just?) mentally ill. I'm undecided as to whether one can simultaneously be both--sometimes it strikes me that domestic terrorists are all a bit deranged by default and their derangement just settles on an ideology and ideologically motivated target to externalize their internal hate and anger.

Where that bleeds into the Covenant school's killing requires some careful splitting of hairs but I haven't seen the relevant manifesto and apparently nobody wants us to see the entire thing; moreover, at times a grudge acquires ideological clothing, muddying the waters even more until they're a slurry.

[NotHardly]

5. Nauseating isn't it?

[Irish_Dem]

6. When you kill a rich, powerful, white male you will be called a terrorist.

Going up again the white male ruling class is not going to be tolerated.

[Karasu]

7. Unfortunately, CEOs rank infinitely higher on the American capitalist hierarchy of life than schoolkids ever will.

[Enter stage left]

8. I had just posted a very similar thread, and when I saw yours I deleted mine.

Thank you for your post, my thoughts were almost identical.

Here is context to what we are thinking.

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/153/4/e2023064311/196816/School-Shootings-in-the-United-States-1997-2022

[CentralMass]

9. They both are.

[Avalon Sparks]

10. That was my first thought too.

Eom

[LeftInTX]

11. That was the only way New York could charge him with first degree murder.

The following must exist for first degree murder:
person killed is a first responder, police officer, judge, law enforcement, or if the crime is murder for hire, during a rape, torture, more than one person, while committing a felony or terrorism.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/125.27

Most school shooters do not survive and are minors themselves.

This is the same DA who charged Trump.

State terrorism laws are quite different than federal laws. In some states, throwing molotov cocktails while rioting can be charged as terrorism.

[maxrandb]

12. CEO's don't fit into MAGAt America's "he needed killing" meme...yet

Could you imagine ANY democratic politician surviving inviting the CEO shooter as their guest to the Army-Navy game, or having Kyle Rittenhouse as a guest speaker?

Meanwhile, a guy who choked out and unarmed man for 10 minutes is treated as a "star". In fact, we're hold "America needs more like him".

But, at least, we can take "comfort" in knowing they press will tell us "both sides are the same".

My God! The Kinks were right again

?feature=shared

[ecstatic]

13. We don't really have other words to describe it

When activists (whether political / ideological / environmental/ religious / left / right) use violence to send a message, they're lumped into the terrorism category.

Do we have another word that describes situations like that? I'm asking seriously.

[HereForTheParty]

15. Why do you need a word for it?

Simply say what happened. We know "terrorism" is misused to the point of being meaningless.

[travelingthrulife]

14. Stop watching whatever it is you are watching.

They are causing this reaction on purpose to make money. Read news, it lets you use critical thought better.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

16. mass shootings of school kids is nearly

a daily event in this country. Shooting a CEO hardly ever happens.

I don't think either one really qualifies. "Terrorism is the use of violence to create fear and achieve a political goal"

School shootings are almost never about trying to achieve a political goal, just some disgruntled student or former student most of the time who has some personal reason to murder at a school.

[republianmushroom]

17. You can face more time in prison for bank robbery than for manslaughter.