On Politics 6/3/09: Homegrown Terror

Over the past week or so, we've been subject to three distinct acts of perpetrated or attempted homegrown domestic terrorism. We've become so focused on worrying about what may come from outside that we may be losing site as to what continues to plague us, which are the incidents from within.

To start with, we had the local indignity of the Newburgh 4, who evidently wanted to bomb a synagogue in NYC, and use military planes flying into Stewart Airport as target practice for stinger missiles. The second, the drive-by shooting of soldiers at an Army recruiting center in Little Rock, was reminiscent of something out of the days of the Chicago mob in the 1930s. The third was the execution of Dr. George Tiller as he served as an usher in his Church this past Sunday.

Though on the surface some may not think these are all related, I would offer to you that they are. Terrorism is loosely defined as a policy or ideology of violence intended to intimidate or cause terror, for the purpose of affecting change. By that definition, all three acts clearly fall into the same bucket. While we think of the Newburgh 4 and the Army recruiting center quite easily as terrorist acts, others may not be as easily persuaded as to the inclusion of Dr. Tiller's murder as one as well.

This killing of a physician who was providing a legal, government-protected service, is perhaps the clearest match to the definition of terrorism. Those opposed to the practice of abortion are practicing murder in order to intimidate or cause terror for the purpose of affecting change; it can hardly be considered anything else. While the common American knee-jerk reaction is to immediately associate terrorism with Islamic fanatics, they do not readily apply that label to Caucasian countrymen like James Klopp and Eric Rudolph, who bomb or shoot fellow American citizens. Anti-abortion groups are quick to say that those who commit these terrorist acts are not affiliated with their organizations, but publicly cheer the end result nonetheless. One could easily make the statement that those speaking out in happiness over these murders are supporting and promoting terrorism.

You may not like it, but the shoe fits.