Originally posted by centurion1211
A terrorist is one who terrorizes. You can't be one without doing the other.
I disagree. Call it semantics if you like, but while a terrorist does indeed terrorize people, one who terrorizes isn't necessarily a terrorist.
It all depends on the INTENT.
Dentists instill terror into me. I'm terrified of them. I take very good care of my teeth and have not been to a dentist in over 20 years. And I won't go. They terrorize me.
They don't mean to, just as our soldiers don't mean to terrorize Iraqis, they're both just doing their job.
A terrorist is one who intends to terrorize; whose purpose is to instill terror; to cause fear. One who terrorizes may do so without trying to.
A person of integrity would've addressed my statements, rather than simply hurling ad hominem pedantry somewhere in my general direction.
), but he wouldn't really be a terrorist. That's kind of how I feel about Kerry's statement. Offensive, uncalled for, unrealistic,
but he didn't necessarily call our troops terrorists.
