What Defines Terrorism in Society?

Terrorism, a term that has been tossed around listlessly, has morphed into a word that targets a specific group of people.

In truth, terrorism is defined as the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.

So why are attributes such as mental illness and ethnicity factors of what defines terrorism?

In a recent shooting in Colorado Springs, Robert Lewis Dear slaughtered three people at a Planned Parenthood Clinic and defended himself by saying he was a "warrior for the babies." Now check out these tweets:

So what justifies terrorist acts? Your skin color? There are individuals who defend terrorism, but have you ever seen anyone defend the recent Paris massacre? Or moreover, the crisis of of September 11th?

To segue into "racialized terrorism," mass shootings are often correlated to mental illness.

In the notorious Charleston mass shooting, Dylann Roof was responsible for slaughtering nine people at an African American Church.

Not once was he mentioned for committing an act of terrorism.

Instead, media proposed that Roof had an isolated childhood, was obsessed with weapons, and was constantly posting on social media about how he wanted to hurt himself and hurt others.

But realistically, he was a self-proclaimed white supremacist who had derogatory views on African Americans.

To reiterate, terrorism are acts of violence pursued towards a specific group of people to prove a political viewpoint.

So why is terrorism justified due to your race? Why is there a fine line that divides what terrorism is and isn't?

Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/09/us/colorado-planned-parenthood-shooting/

http://www.newsweek.com/charleston-massacre-mental-illness-common-thread-mass-shootings-344789