Fanatic: a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause.
Terrorist: a person who uses fear, submission, violence and threats to coerce in the pursuit of their aims.
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I was having a discussion with my husband, about using a particular religion, race or political party, as if one, or a few, represent the collective all. This is very far from the truth. A handful of those "going rogue" does not represent any totality ... no more than one person representing their entire relatives.
I don't even like the expression of radical Islamic as it still points to more than an individual, or individuals, and starts programming us as if all Islamic people could become radical. It puts fear in the multitude that all Muslims could be potential terrorist which is just as bad as the historical witch hunts we have had in America's past.
It's illogical finger pointing.
Just as illogical as the media hype on race as if blacks are the only race that's been persecuted. Obviously, they failed or didn't take history while studying broadcasting.
That's why, in my opinion, these people should not be classified under a race, religion or party, especially when they act as the above definitions state. When you're dealing with anyone who is a fanatic, or using terrorism as a means to an end, then that, and only that, should be our definition.
Can you imagine if we stop saying "why are you a racist" and start saying "why are you a fanatic?" I wonder how that would help a person's mind, in order for them to keep from hiding behind something other then this truth.
Can you imagine if we stop saying "he did that because he's a (place your word here)" and start saying "he did that because he's a terrorist" (or fanatic)? In other words, call it for what it is ... a fanatic or terrorist.
After all, a dog is a dog. There may be a variety of dogs but they are still classified as a dog. When any act up, we say they're rabid, or whatever, but we don't say all dogs are the same because of one or a few dogs that act up. We don't go out and eliminate all dogs because of a few that are not doing the same thing as the others.
In fact, should we eliminate all sports because a few fans are fanatical?
So why crucify the collective all because of a handful that use their race, party or religion to justify the ends to their means?
That's lunacy!
Why do we continually buy into that mentality? Why do we help them beat their drum of insanity? If we change the words we use, maybe it will help change more than words later.
It just might make them think. Maybe even speak the truth.
For instance: no, I'm not racist, I hate the world and I'm using race as an ends to my means because I'm a fanatic.
For instance: yes, I'm a Muslim but I'm using that as an end to my means because I'm really a terrorist and don't care who I hurt on my fanatical path.
For instance: yes, I am a bible beating Christian, using my faith as an ends to my means because I'm really a fanatic and I don't care that it hurts my fellow Christians.
For instance: I'm a political terrorist and will use my party to hurt my government and my country because that's what fanatics do.
These are only minimal examples that I used above, you can use any religion, political party, or race the same way.
Try it.
Single out the fanatics or terrorists and call them for what they really are. Stop allowing them to use any party, religion or race against us. Stop allowing it to crucify any "collective all" when it's not the case.
After all, someone can be a fanatic without being a terrorist but I don't think we can separate a terrorist from a fanatic. In that case, we should be stating they're a fanatical terrorist, with no association to anything but that.
Either way, they are individuals acting on their desires ... not for an entire religion, race or political party ... or any other subject.
Let's call it for what it truly is. They can be like a black hole of the universe that can pull you in and destroy everything around them, but they're not the universe.
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