Analizing Terrorism

I beging this essay copying some different definitions about terrorism, from different people who are from different places, but from the same world:

"the strategy of the weak for weakening the strong" (Roskin and Berry, p. 4);
"seeking to further political objectives through the threat or use of violence
usually in opposition to state governments?"(Kegley and Wittkopf, p. 222);
"Terrorist groups, seek the political freedom, privilege, and property they
think persecution has denied them" (Kegley and Wittkopf, p. 222); "usually used
by the powerless against the powerful" (Mingst, p. 178); "the use of violence to
achieve a political objective" (Papp, p. 127); “Using random and horrific acts
of violence against unsuspecting and innocent non-combatants is terrorism, and
moral people will condemn such acts no matter who undertakes them.” ( Michael
Walzer, in Just and Unjust Wars); “Terrorism is a strategy to weaken a hated
political authority. It is a security threat, but almost the opposite of the
nuclear one: little pinpricks instead of a huge bang." (Stanley Michalak ).

And so many others. I have read many definitions and thoughts about terrorism. Also, some interesting things about its history: Why it is called terrorism, when was it used for the first time, the meaning before and the meaning today - a strategy that explicitly targets innocent civilians -, etc. Also, about the opposite ideas abot who are the real terrorist as in the expressions: “One person`s terrorist is another person`s freedom fighter” 1. and “One group's 'freedom fighters' may be another group's 'terrorists'". 2.

Reading and analizing and comparing different definitions about terrorism made me learn that we are different.; I mean, everybody is different and we are always going to be different, and people try to reach their goals in different ways. Some of them are peaceful and others are violent as terrorism. I don´t defend neither support any act of terrorism. Based on the definition that terrorism uses violence usually in opposition to state governments or legal rules, I consider that several nations undertake terrorist attacks, too.

Concluding, from all these things I agree on three things. The first one is that although terrorism kills a few number of people, people worry about terrorism as it creates panic. You don´t know where the following attacks will be, how they are going to be, where you and your family and … will be. How would you act if you or one of your relatives are or is the next victim. Worst of all, you don`t know if you will be alive to talk about it. The second one is that I agree with the concept of terrorism is in the eye of the beholder: constitutes terrorism is often in the eye of the beholder and, in this case, killing civilians with a bomb dropped on a building by a warplane is no different than (sic) killing civilians by planting a bomb in a building". 3. It is natural that every one defends its opinion. Several powerful countries define terrorism in a self serving way. And the third one is that I agree with some people who say that defining terrorrism is difficult. I just would like fighting to stop. Violence brings violence. No one was born being violent. I just want to say that terrorism – or the way I definne it: a silent not loudly progressing war that sometimes expresses itself.

as a “boom”-, does not distinguish between civilians and military, and women and children, or the “good ones” and the “bad ones” as we children recognize in a cowboys movie. Terrorism used in a good cause is terrorism - as big or little lies or sins: They are still lies or sins.- and violence against unsuspecting and innocent non-combatants is terrorism, no matter who undertakes it so any act of violence cannot be excused and considered as legal by any justification.

As many people, I want and I hope terrorism to stop for ever. I would like young people to learn about it in order to learn the culture of the no violence. As terrorists use any means to express their incomformity, we can learn to use strategies to work on peace and finding peaceful ways to get our goals but based on values: fairness, respect to others, tolerance, etc. Students from all over the world can work on this by having practices or dynamics of things that occur in our own class. Thus, we can try to use them in our families, in our groups of friends, neighbors, players, etc., as we are always going to find things we do not agree with or like. Of course, we must remember the gold rule “Do not do others what you do not want for you”.

1.http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/66/Who_Owns_the_Word_Terror.html
2. http://hnn.us/articles/1129.htmlç
3. Rourke, pp. 346-47

Bibliographie

buffalo-israel-link.org/page10.html

hnn.us/articles/1129.html

adbusters.org/the_magazine/66/Who_Owns_the_Word_Terror.html

hnn.us/articles/1129.html