according to police reports they ruled out the shootings as being an act of terrorism...ok...so what makes it terrorism?? Does the killer have to be middle-eastern? Does the killer have to use a car bomb instead of a gun? Does he need to fly a plane into a building or carry a koran? ...this was a planned event. The killer purchased 2 weapons at 2 different times. He allegedly sent written bomb threats at an earlier time to test security. This wasnt a disturbed individual who just snapped. He has been planning this for awhile. ...What would make the Virginia Shooting an act of terrorism?|||Premeditated mass murder is not terrorism. Holding a grudge and/or being mentally unbalanced is not terrorism. Terrorism - which does not always involve murder (can be kidnapping, sabotage, etc.) - is aymmetrical action against authority, the deliberate act of instilling fear in order to motivate political change. What makes it terrorism is the kind of followup response you are trying to elicit, not simply the act. One more important distinction - insurgence is not necessarily terrorism. Or let me put it this way, if native Iraqis taking up arms against U.S. occupiers are terrorists, then so was the celebrated insurgent, George Washington. Granted, there are terrorists in Iraq - the foreign fighters certainly fall into that camp as do those who target civilians.|||well terrorism are warfare tactics from small and weak countries with no military might to make a statement. I dont think South Korea sent that boy over here to shoot people and make a political statement.|||I think the shooting was an act of terrorism and there would be a reason behind the shooting, ie. asians are mistreated at VA Tech. Doubt it, maybe he plays too many online games. But I don't think they will know a reason until everything is said and done. This was done by a disturbed young man!|||This is NOT an act of terrorism for 2 reasons. 1. Terrorism is defined as "a pre-meditated violent action against people or persons for political purposes or a political cause" This can be through ANY violence - not just guns and bombs. 2. The killer in this instance had psychological / psychotic tendancies and did this because of SELFISH issues. Issues being Psychopathic / Psychotic tendancies. Terrorism has to be PRE-MEDITATED AND POLITICAL. Example - If you and your family are being attacked and the reason for you being attacked was "POLITICAL". You then DEFEND yourself ... by definition you are NOT a terrorist as the action has to be PRE-MEDITATED AND POLITICAL. You COULD argue the war in Iraq is an "act of Terrorism" by the US government as there is NO EVIDENCE that the US was in "imminent danger" and didn't have to defend itself and they did carry out a PRE_MEDITATED attack. Finally being middle eastern has NOTHING to do with Terrorism|||How about we keep it simple. No political involvement. It's not always about hate for a religion. QUOTE YOU: This wasnt a disturbed individual who just snapped Seems it actually is|||The assumptions you make - mainly that "terrorism" is a vague ambiguous word devoid of factual truth, is correct. "Terrorism" is _arbitrarily_ used by some to justify "defensive" or pro-active measures against a perceived threat.. The political/apolitical distinction raised by "wiz" (above) in arbitrarily defining "terrorism" seems on the surface to have some truth. However, the 911 attacks were not only against the Pentagon, but also a "trade" center, suggesting a disgust by the "terrorists" with the economics of the target (perhaps the "terrorists" were ranting against capitalism). Similarly, the V Tech shooter seemed to have a rage against unjust economic policies which he felt enriched people unfairly. Although a capitalist country is by definition a country which espouses laissez faire (freedom of the markets), the reality is that in every Country, including the US, there is a hybrid capitalist/socialist system whereby the Government steps in to control the economy (Greenspan a simple example).. Thus the V-Tech shooter was expressing disgust with a perceived economic reality which arguably and probably partially resulted from Government action. Thus the shooter ought to be labeled a "terrorist" as well. He will not, though, because the US has no general National interest in addressing the South Korean government, nor does the US Government have as its political agenda a stance or plan for addressing a "loner's" tendency to snap under pressure.|||It's a fine line, but the VT shooting apparently was done by one person driven by his own perceived personal slights, i.e., his girlfriend cheating on him and (supposedly) bad-mouthing him to their friends. Terrorist acts are "usually" done as part of an organized group movement protesting the existing government and trying to foment change...or attacking another group, i.e., a religion, with a different philosophy. The underlying goal is to create change. Personal revenge does not have that goal. I did hear that there was a note that said he was angry at his fellow students' materialistic attitudes. If that is true...and I don't know the details, so I'm not saying it is...one "could" make the argument that it was a quasi-terrorist act, but the primary driving force seems to be his own personal anger at his girlfriend and classmates.|||great question?|||I don't think it is an act of terrorism because the killer(s) even if he had prepared is crime, targetted innocent people who represented the source of his frustrations and lack of self confidence...... An act of terrorism tends to be politically motivated (even when the cover of religion is used). The killer was most probably mentally instable... Anguish and pain altough not planned, is something that grows on you and the worst it get the more urgent it is for you to find relieve, but still leaving you enough time to find ways (evil !) of escaping the pain.... This is a very sad event which unfortunately is becoming to frequent in the States|||Well Homeland Security considers child prostitution in Taiwan worth sending people to investigate and gangs in LA a homeland threat so I am sure they will throw out the "T" word to get their fingers in the news feeding frenzy. Which will allow for a larger budget as they justify their jobs over the graves of these young people.|||That is a great question|||It is terrorism in a sense, because it has stuck fear in the general public. I don't think it was his intent to strike fear in the population though, it was simply to kill people. The idea that he planned it, just means that it was premeditated.|||Cho signed his long letter as "Ishmael X"--this tells me that he was a convert to ISLAM--and therefore, another rampaging Muuuuuslim terrorist. All the more reason we should round up ALL Muuuuuslims here in the US....

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