Harmful Act Of Terrorism example essay topic

Terrorism in our own Backyard America is said to be the strongest nation in the world with a passion to provide a culture full of opportunities, freedoms and a land free of terrorism! Recently, we " ve all watched in horror as our country's dignity was compromised. The 9-11 acts of terror will always be remembered not only for the number of lives that were lost and for the damage done, but because our safe haven was invaded and that is unimaginable for most Americans. Now more than ever, security measures and extreme precautions are being taken to avoid further attacks on America, but are we over-looking the terrorism that is happening everyday among American to American? Terrorism is defined as the "unlawful use or threatened use of force; violence by a person or organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating". We often think of the word terrorism as an act of violence against America by another country, but as you can see terrorism can be done by anyone at any time, anywhere.

Terrorism can be traced throughout history. An innocent man, beaten and then hung on a cross was an act of terrorism. Millions of Africans, kidnapped from their homes and brought to America could be considered an act of terrorism. The use of foul language intended to intimidate and the use of bodily harm on another because of their race or religion is an act of terrorism. Terrorism happens in our homes between family members, in our schools among our children, in the workplace among the workers and on our streets. These examples show that the harmful act of terrorism is human and not just a cultural influence.

What kind of a world can we expect to live in if we model this behavior and teach our children these ways? Where there are people, acts of terrorism can be found as an extreme method for making a statement, but there are other ways of accomplishing this task. Humanity has had its ups and downs, but we have overcome those downs by pulling together and standing up for what is good and true and passing that on to the next generation. We must take this responsibility seriously if we desire to go in a positive direction as a country. America's leaders are trying to figure out the true motive behind these senseless acts of local terrorism. They are doing extensive research to try and determine if this behavior is caused by a traumatizing past, such as divorce that caused the child to be torn between two bickering parents, or an abusive father or mother.

Another suggestion is that some of this behavior may have resulted from hate that as accumulated over the years possibly from being teased as a child or teenager. They are also researching the theory that there may be a chemical imbalance in their brain that results in more violent behavior, resulting in hate crimes or acts of terrorism. In recalling the events of the Columbine shooting, the teenage boys involved could be called "terrorists" because they desired to intimidate and dominate with out regard to anyone's personal safety including there own. Psychologists are trying to determine the motives these boys had and what drove them to such lengths. What message were they trying to send? What was so important in the act of terror that they were willing to sacrifice the rest of their lives?

Our local acts of "terrorism" might be compared with the larger scale political acts of terrorism in that they are all trying to make a point and deliver a message in the most dramatic and sensational way possible. I believe America has learned something valuable from the tragic events of September 11, 2002. Harmful acts do nothing but destroy and hurt; America does not need any more of that. It's now up to each and every American to set an example for the rest of the world by applying what they have learned to their individual lives and perhaps this will spread throughout our country and abroad.

We need to speak out against the terrorism we see on the streets, in our neighborhoods and even in our own hearts. Terrorism can be stopped and the first step in doing so is to heal the motives for hate in our own hearts and minds and clean out all the acts of terror we engage in with our fellow man. The next step is to make everyone aware of how fortunate we are to live in such a wonderful country and to take pride in our freedoms. This may not stop the wars between countries, but it will help heal America of the terrorism that can be found in our own backyard.

Bibliography

Page 1. Melissa, "Nothing Changes", web 9/12/012. Soukhanov, Ann H., American Heritage Dictionary, pg. 1854, 1992.