Violence Against Society
2016-07-26
I thought very hard about this title. I did not want to put the word "terrorism" in it as it has become an overused word, which risks devaluing its horrific true meaning. Media seem to look to add terrorism too readily to headlines about any act of violence in and against society. Equally the authorities strive to look carefully at whether each act is an act of terrorism. We know terrorism when we see it - The downing by a bomb of PanAm 103 over Scotland in the late 1980s (I mention that just as a reminder that it has been around a long time), 9/11 in New York, 7/7 in London, the attacks on concert goers in Paris, the attacks in Brussels and so on, with far too long a list.Of course any acts of violence can be terrifying but we need to distinguish between something that is terrorism enacted in the name of a group, a cause or a country which might lead to severe retaliation, restrictions on movement of some individuals and groups, and some stereotyping, and, on the other hand, an act by an individual, mentally unstable, a copycat of recent terrorist attack because they got the idea, a grudge revenge against an ex-lover, co-worker or anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time when a member of society was the victim of another member's bad mood or manic depression. The latter usually leads to statements about the need to review mental health care, to increase security in shopping malls and offices, to limit gun ownership (or to increase citizen gun ownership - depending on the analysis and the country). However the latter does not usually result in stereotyping all similar individuals as a danger because of the actions of one - not when they are not seen as terrorists.
In Germany headlines ask :What is going on? Four acts of violence against society in different locations. all terrible but were they all connected? Where they all acts of terrorism? At least one seems like a domestic revenge attack for personal reasons, a second an act of a depressed person. Terrorist groups might like to claim these actors as their followers. It all adds to real terror. So we need to be able to review and distinguish acts of violence in society and put all into perspective. Media have a responsibility in this and so do politicians. Otherwise we will be living a daily terrified life.
While sitting in a cafe I overheard a group of Yuppies at the next table: "Hm! There's been a shooting in Olympia, in the shopping center" one said, unimpressed. "Really?" And the discussion moved on.
The town was locked down and all transportation stopped until the shooter was found (dead) and it was ascertained that no one else was involved.
Later, on the news, I heard that the German police requested suppressing any updates and rehashing of this story.
If that's the attitude the Germans take to terrorism, I can see why it would not gain a foothold. Can't terrify people who refuse to perpetuate terror, can you?
The world of opinions are lopsided because the whites call terrorisms in China as ethnic rebellions, terrorists as separatists and so forth while the whites named and called all such killings in their white nations ( Europe, USA, Australia, etc ...) as terrorisms and terrorists.
Just too bad and too late to save us all from worries and fears about life and death because terrorism or violence makes no difference any longer. The world of killings and murders have been caused by invasions of Big Bullying gangsters with falsified documents; and UK courageously admitted about such horrible mistakes. The results were awesomely cruel and came about ISIS, hard cored Jihadists, Taliban and various factions of religious rebels seeking vengeances or revenges ! Who shall we blame for all these daily slaughtering, bombings, etc.... etc ... to make lives so insecure?
In U.S. culture we are constantly given data that is untrue, usually by commercial ads, advertisements, etc. and we get so use to it that we believe that getting untrue data is part of normal living. Even to the point of believing "America" is a nation, our nation and thus "American" is our nationality. The truth that United Staten is our nationality because the name of our country is United States. However our nation is the major leader of the world, what we say whether right or wrong the rest of the world follows our lead.
In our U.S. culture we are constantly given information that is not true. This is usually done by constant commercial ads, advertisements, etc. and we get so use to it that we think its normal for all people. Even to the point of getting used to believing that "America" is a nation, our nation thus our "American" nationality. The truth is that United States is our nation and thus our nationality is UnitedStaten. However, because U.S. has been the major world leader, what we say whether right or wrong the rest of the world follows our lead.
America is currently advising their citizens travelling in the uk that an attack is likely, and should stay vigilant..haha...
we should tell our citizens travelling to the US that a bullet is very likely......bloody cheek...
US and Germany ,, why it comes to the war .. the head force seems to think little about people's opinion and somewhat democracy maybe they didn't realize when the time comes .. it's not really them-the president or the mayor or some other politicians who take the first kick ..
One of the four German cases involves a SYrian refugee aged 21, and a Polish woman, 45. Both were working in the same fast food restaurant. The man killed her; she was his lover.
Obviously this is not a terrorist case but one of a man going mad over jilting.
One other case concerned an 18-year-old who started a shooting rampage in Munich. At first people thought he was an Islamicist. He wasn't. It now transpires that he hated Turks and Muslims.
Talk of hatred fuelled by speculation, stereotyping and wrong information! Just like in the U.S.A.
Not all killings are terrorism, agreed to that. What is most important currently is not to magnify the horrible feelings against terrorists.
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