It seems odd that in 2017 we still need to be clear about what constitutes an act of terrorism. For context, last night, the horrible shooting in Las Vegas occurred. At the time of writing this, it’s already been the most fatal shooting in US history. This is a horrible incident that, as usual, I’m not going to Monday morning quarter-back, as so much is still developing in the aftermath.
What I will comment on are statements by media outlets and ‘experts’, many of which proclaimed once it was released that the perpetrator of this crime was an older white guy local to the Las Vegas area, that this was not an act of terrorism. So let’s clarify against stupidity, ignorance, and general bullshit. While there are a variety of definitions of terrorism that can be found, no definition worth its salt includes any pre-determined profile based upon race, age, gender, religion, sexuality, nationality, or skin color. Those factors alone have nothing to do with determining if an act was or was not terrorism.
The most common definition referenced in the US is what is known as the ‘FBI definition’. This definition actually comes from a section of the US Code of Federal Regulations (28 CFR 0.85) which outlines the general functions of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In the Code, terrorism is defined as ‘the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political or social objectives’.
It seems easy in these times to decry any act of violence as terrorism or, similarly, to dismiss certain acts because they are perpetrated by some old white guy with no known agenda. Both of these actions would be wrong without further evidence. The FBI definition focuses on motive and intent. While the results of the incident may certainly be intimidating or coercive, the motivation may not have been to accomplish that – it may have been, not to understate any act of violence, simply to kill people. It may not have necessarily been motivated by any specific social, political, or religious extremism. At this moment, there has been no publicly-released information indicating that this person acted to ‘intimidate or coerce a government, civilian population, or segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives.’ But that could change at any moment.
In the hours and days ahead, more details will be uncovered on the perpetrator of this crime and their possible motives. Some people simply want to call it terrorism so they have a label for it or because they think that the crime is somehow elevated by calling it terrorism. Over 50 were killed and over 500 were injured. Whatever label you apply doesn’t make the crime any better or worse. It’s still horribly tragic. Some people, particularly those with pre-conceived notions of what is or is not terrorism, will hold that this couldn’t possibly be terrorism because it was committed by an older, local, white guy; and not a radicalized individual from the middle east. Assumptions either way are dangerous.
Regardless of how the investigation shakes out and what labels may be applied to this act, the loss of life and impact to families and loved ones is horrific. Let us all take some time to consider that and what must be done to prepare for and prevent further mass shootings such as this.
No matter what the disaster is, be informed!
© 2017 – Timothy Riecker, CEDP
The Contrarian Emergency Manager 