Just like the suicide bombers in the Middle East, Jared Loughner IS a TERRORIST.

[madinmaryland]

There is no difference between the two other than the color of their skin.

He IS a TERRORIST.

[slackmaster]

1. Unless he's actually a paranoid schizophrenic who was acting out a bizarre personal vendetta

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/jared-lee-loughner-friend-voicemail-phone-message?page=1

[readmoreoften]

3. If he has an intent to terrorize a population, then he is all those things and a terrorist.

A terrorist kills one to put fear of death into the members of a group, culture, or nation.

[slackmaster]

5. Please read the Mother Jones article I linked to

TIA

[readmoreoften]

8. Read it. Doesn't sound like he's a terrorist. Sounds like he's a psychotic

and an anti-social personality disorder.

[slackmaster]

10. Yes, and his friends and other associates have mentioned recent, severe behavior changes

I think a lot of people have been very precocious in attributing a political or ideological motive to his actions.

[notesdev]

6. George?

I thought we knew all the "terrorist" rhetoric was a thinly veiled excuse for an authoritarian crackdown on dissenting opinions.

How times change!

Well, I guess we should run right out and pass a whole bunch of new laws that definitely can't be used against us in ways we never intended when the next Republican becomes President.

[readmoreoften]

7. I'm giving the classic definition of a terrorist, there's nothing "totalitarian" in my comment.

If someone KILLS/TORTURES/SEXUALLY ASSAULTS one person of a class, race, gender, sexual orientation, or nation in order to put the fear of subsequent death into that group at large, than that is terrorism. By this definition, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are also acts of terrorism. Protests, heated rhetoric, organizing, web sites, building occupations, blockades: none of these are acts of terrorism according to the definition, yet these are the activities being monitored by Homeland Security--not the right-wing terrorist attacks against liberal churches, leftists, immigrants, and LGBTs.

If

[notesdev]

16. That's an odd definition of terrorism

Where exactly did you come up with that one? Sounds like the dictionary definition, sort of, except put through a bureaucracy both ways and blurred in the copy machine.

[readmoreoften]

2. Agreed.

[Blue Owl]

4. Yup

And glad to hear someone say it.

[Gamow]

9. Whats the difference between "terrorist" and "assassin"?

I understand that not all "terrorists" could be called "assassin", but is the reverse true?

[slackmaster]

11. An assassin seeks to change the course of history by eliminating one specific leader

A terrorist seeks to intimidate a population by inducing fear.

[Gamow]

12. Concise answer. Thanks! nt

[madinmaryland]

13. I believe that the latter is what applied to Loughner. nt

[slackmaster]

15. I think he's just a paranoid schizophrenic who was on a "mission" to correct a perceived slight

A personal issue.

[datan]

14. not really

generally terrorism is defined as the systematic use of violence against civilian targets as a means of coercion to obtain one's political, religious, or ideological goals.

The suicide bombers in the Middle East (e.g. Palestinian bombers in Israel) meet the definition.

However this event appears to be once-off (unless he has other accomplices) and it's unclear whether he was trying to use violence to achieve any goals.