Recently, President Donald Trump called the issue of gun violence in Texas, which left at least 26 people dead, a “mental issue.” While the Texas shooter, Devin Kelley, did have mental issues, many were quick to label him as anything but what he truly was: a terrorist.
This has been the same issue with the mass shooting in Las Vegas, which is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States. The shooter, Stephen Paddock, killed 58 people and injured many more.
According to Y Net News, he was “a retired grandfather with no criminal history.” His brother, Eric Paddock, claims Stephen was a “peaceful man” and a “wealthy guy.”
Both men, Kelley and Paddock, were white males. Both men took innocent lives they had no right to take. Both men should be rightfully labeled a terrorist, but they are not.
What is wrong with America not wanting to label their citizens as terrorists? Do these offenders need to be people of color in order to label them a terrorist?
Looking up “terrorist” or “terrorism” in the dictionary is not a definition easily defined or judged. It is, however, a definition easy to label a person. The exact definition of terrorism from Merriam-Webster is, “the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.”
Many have been quick to come to the conclusion student Ahmed Mohamed, who built a bomb and brought it to school, is a terrorist. However, the recent mass shooters were labeled everything except terrorists.
Various news outlets make sure to note both men were “white males,” as if the word “white” itself could cover the fact they killed a multitude of people. Being a terrorist is not something subjected to one being a person of color. There are no strict guidelines preventing a person from getting called a terrorist.
Committing heinous crimes or arguing about gun control should not be blamed on mental illness to get away from the fact these men are homegrown domestic terrorists who should not be named anything else. They do not deserve another label simply because of where they are from, or their race. This is not a fair mentality – not to the victims or anyone else accused of crimes due to racial profiling.
Devin Kelley and Stephen Paddock are domestic terrorists, and I am not afraid or ashamed to say it.