Words mean things
Apparently, the man who recently shot up a Unitarian church in Knoxville, killing two people, did so because he hated the Unitarians' liberal social views, such as antiracism, support for gay rights, and opposition to the war.
This raises the question: why is this man not being described by news outlets as a terrorist? I realize that in the current political climate, "terrorist" is somewhat of an all-purpose insult, just as "communist" was in the McCarthy era, but the standard definition of terrorism is the use of violence for political intimidation, and attacking a liberal church because its members are liberal would certainly seem to qualify. Imagine if a similarly violent psycho with more left-wing politics shot up a Southern Baptist church because he hated the homophobia, misogyny, and warmongering its members endorsed. I don't think it's risky speculation to guess that he'd be labeled a "terrorist" who hates "home-spun American values" or something similar in no time flat. So much for the "liberal media."
This raises the question: why is this man not being described by news outlets as a terrorist? I realize that in the current political climate, "terrorist" is somewhat of an all-purpose insult, just as "communist" was in the McCarthy era, but the standard definition of terrorism is the use of violence for political intimidation, and attacking a liberal church because its members are liberal would certainly seem to qualify. Imagine if a similarly violent psycho with more left-wing politics shot up a Southern Baptist church because he hated the homophobia, misogyny, and warmongering its members endorsed. I don't think it's risky speculation to guess that he'd be labeled a "terrorist" who hates "home-spun American values" or something similar in no time flat. So much for the "liberal media."