I was at work when I noticed the Austin terror attack on the news. Andrew Joseph Stack III apparently snapped after being burdened with tax debt, burned down his family's house (they escaped), and piloted his private 4-seat propeller plane into the Austin IRS building, where 200 employees worked. So far the death toll is 2, not including him. He wrote a lengthy suicide note online, railing at a bunch of things and saying 'violence is the only solution.'
Somewhat quickly, CNN said it did not appear to be terrorism. Uh, blowing up a government building and killing people is pretty much considered the definition of terrorism. The Muslim blogosphere is pretty ticked that this guy is getting a pass on being called a terrorist, seemingly because he's not Muslim. He's a white Christian who turned to violence against an apparatus of the government over what he felt was injustice. (Mr. Stack did denounce the Catholic church in his suicide note, but he is nominally Christian) Many on the left have compared his rhetoric to that of the "Teabagger" movement that is coincidentally holding its meetings the same week.
The real definition of terrorism used by the US Code is
"any activity that involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State, and (B) appears intended
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government and by assassination or kidnapping."
With apologies to Professor Cole for plaigarizing his idea, here is what else you will not see in the media:
Thomas Friedman will not write an op-ed for the New York Times about what is wrong with white southern Christian males that they keep producing these terrorists. He will also not ask why Sarah Palin and Pat Robertson are not denouncing Andrew Stack every day at the top of their lungs.
Daniel Pipes will not write a column for the New York Post suggesting that white southern Christians be put in internment camps until it can be determined why they keep producing terrorists and antisemites.
Retired Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney will not go on FOX News and claim that Christian males need to be "strip searched" before boarding airplanes.
The Transportation Security Administration will not announce new, "enhanced screening" tactics at U.S. airports, with a renewed focus on travelers from Southern Red states.
Steve Doocy of morning FOX & Friends will not call for racial profiling of Christians, because "all of the people who try to blow airliners out of the sky pretty much look alike"
Right-wing talk show host Laura Ingraham and FOX News' Brian Kilmeade will not question whether Christians should be in the army or serve in government. They won't say Christians "have to understand" being profiled because of "the war that was declared on us"
No reporter will interview frightened Iraqis about their fears at hearing that there are 138,000 armed Christians in their country belonging to the same faith as the bomber, Stack, many of them from his stomping grounds of Texas.
Barack Obama will not issue a statement that "Christianity is a religion of peace and we will not allow the Andrew Stacks to hijack it for their murderous purposes."
Frank Gaffney will not write a column for the Washington Post castigating the Republican Party for appeasement in surrendering to the terrorist threats of radical Christians and tea party protestors, by now supporting greater tax cuts.
Max Boot will not point out that if the United States could only keep the Philippines in the early twentieth century by killing 400,000 Filipinos, than that was what needed to be done, and if the US can only beat back radical Christians by killing 400,000 of them, then that may just be necessary.
Professional hate-monger David Gaubatz will not call for a "professional and legal backlash against the Muslim community."
Jim Quinn will not suggest we need to "broom the Christians out of the military" or government, or defend internment as a strategy that "worked" during WWII.
George Stephanopoulos will not lead ABC News' broadcast with the idea that Christians are a "special challenge" in the military and inside government.
FOX News' Eric Bolling won't insist that Scott Roeder (who murdered abortion doctor George Tiller in 2009 and insisted he knew others who would do more) should be waterboarded.