[quote=sdduuuude]
The whole idea behind terrorism is that you strike fear in people’s hearts by hurting others with the intent to motivate those still living to act in a way you want them to act. You can’t terrorize a dead person. People who are terrorized LIVE in terror. They see ongoing killings or torture and know that they or their families could be next if they don’t behave the way the killer wants them to behave.[/quote]

I would submit sd that the killing of those people at Ft. Hood was the terrorism act itself intended to force the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq (and from the Middle East itself). In that context it should be called as it is, terrorism.

The utterance of “Allah Akbar” as a war cry showed clearly his jihadist motivation. This is what suicide bombers do before they themselves detonate. This is what the 9/11 hijackers said right before nearly 3000 of our people were killed.

Jihadists want the act of their destruction to be the act of terror that coerces change.

I hope that helps.

I myself consider McVeigh to be a terrorist, but not a Christian terrorist. His motivation was anti-U.S. gov’t.