A Definition of Terrorism
Many people talk about the recent spate of terrorism in the world as an expression of outrage at the rest of society from fundamental Islamic extremists. I, in fact, am one of these people. We refer to the "hatred" these monsters hold in their hearts, but is "rage" truly a good word to use when defining terrorism?
While reading Dan Brown's Angels & Demons I came across an interesting passage I'd like to share:
Immediately after reading this I thought of the protesters in New York and the anti-war left in general. These are people who have succumbed to terrorism. These are people who are doing exactly what the terrorists intend for them to do. They are weakening our government from within.
Al Qaeda planted the seeds of doubt in their minds on 9/11 and now those seeds have grown into a dense forest of discontent.
The terrorists want us to lose faith. They want us to feel like we're engaged in a quagmire in Iraq. They want us to feel like no matter what we do we cannot win. They want protesters to flood the street and accuse the President of being "the real terrorist." That is exactly the kind of malcontent they wish to breed when they commit these horrible atrocities. The protesters are playing directly into the hands of al Qaeda and the radical Islamic movement.
Which is all the more reason why we must persevere in Iraq. All the more reason why we must give the President four more years to finish the mission there. Even if Bush should lose we must send a clear message to Kerry that Iraq is not something we can afford to cut and run from. Leaving Iraq as anything less than a free and secure democracy would be an overwhelming victory for the terrorists.
Succumbing to the demands of the rabid anti-war protesters in the streets would be a tacit victory for the terrorists, and that is a victory we cannot afford to give them.
While reading Dan Brown's Angels & Demons I came across an interesting passage I'd like to share:
Quite simply, the goal of terrorism is to create terror and fear. Fear undermines faith in the establishment. It weakens the enemy from within...causing unrest in the masses. Terrorism is not an expression of rage. Terrorism is a political weapon. Remove a government's facade of infallibility, and you remove its people's faith.
Immediately after reading this I thought of the protesters in New York and the anti-war left in general. These are people who have succumbed to terrorism. These are people who are doing exactly what the terrorists intend for them to do. They are weakening our government from within.
Al Qaeda planted the seeds of doubt in their minds on 9/11 and now those seeds have grown into a dense forest of discontent.
The terrorists want us to lose faith. They want us to feel like we're engaged in a quagmire in Iraq. They want us to feel like no matter what we do we cannot win. They want protesters to flood the street and accuse the President of being "the real terrorist." That is exactly the kind of malcontent they wish to breed when they commit these horrible atrocities. The protesters are playing directly into the hands of al Qaeda and the radical Islamic movement.
Which is all the more reason why we must persevere in Iraq. All the more reason why we must give the President four more years to finish the mission there. Even if Bush should lose we must send a clear message to Kerry that Iraq is not something we can afford to cut and run from. Leaving Iraq as anything less than a free and secure democracy would be an overwhelming victory for the terrorists.
Succumbing to the demands of the rabid anti-war protesters in the streets would be a tacit victory for the terrorists, and that is a victory we cannot afford to give them.
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