What a difference a label makes
Reader comment on item: In the Mideast, Bush dared to be different

Submitted by Allen Finkelstein (United States), Dec 29, 2004 at 13:36

I have been bothered by this for years. First I pose a hypothetical situation. If I walked into Fort Lauderdale Police station and opened fire killing several police officers and in the interim I was shot dead the headlines would read something like this "deranged man opens fire at police and is shot to death". The headline would not read deranged man commits suicide.
The dictionary defines homicide as follows: hom•i•cide n.
1. The killing of one person by another.
That being said it defines suicide as: su•i•cide n.
1. The act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself.

By improperly labeling what terrorists do is to romanticize the action thus further these acts. You know that when a person commits suicide we generally feel sorry for them, but if that person goes on a murderous rampage we become emotional outraged.

Stop being duped by murderous, deranged killers. Call a spade a spade, they are HOMICIDE BOMBERS.

Thank you,
Allen Finkelstein

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