NCJ Number
130875
Date Published
1990
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Terrorism is discussed in terms of the difference between it and other forms of violence, whether the violence must be physical, and whether governmental violence is terrorism.
Abstract
Terrorism is violence that has a political purpose, although the particular perpetrator may not be politically motivated. In addition, terrorism differs from revolution in its intention to kill or injure seriously. Furthermore, terrorists' victims differ from governments faced with revolution in that they are not prepared for their own defense. Moreover, pure terrorism is random and arbitrary, in contrast to assassination. It also involves physical harm, in contrast to the illogical contention that poverty, malnutrition, and other social conditions represent violence. Finally, the violence that most governments exert in the course of law enforcement does not represent terrorism, because it is kept to a minimum and occurs only in response to citizen violence. However, governmental violence directed against nonviolent opposition or perpetrated arbitrarily to ensure the submission of the public to governmental rule is much more like terrorism.