Domestic Terrorism in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Domestic Terrorism in America - Research Paper Example However, there often exists a thin line between terrorism and fight for justice. It is worth noting that many countries today trace their existence to struggles for freedom, equality and justice from colonizers or occupiers who oppressed them. The struggle may have been violent at times, leading to injury, death or destruction of property, but is what brought the desired freedom to these societies. Those who may have been hurt or dispossessed during these struggles see those who started them for the liberation of their societies, not as heroes but terrorists. Therefore, as the debate rages on the difference between a terrorist and a hero, some pundits have argued that it is purely a matter of perception and partisanship (Bolt, 2001). The two can easily interchange depending on personal perceptions. Domestic Terrorism in America America is a country of people from diverse origins, colors, religions, cultures, creeds and beliefs, and who have different conflicts and issues but coexisti ng in the same country. Americans have different dreams, perceptions, expectations and struggles that may conflict, leading to desperation, agitation, arguments and illogical approach including terrorism to solve the conflicts. Therefore, faced with all these, it is right to say that most of domestic terrorism in America is either as a result of struggle on the real meaning of Americanism or an effort to push personal agenda on the national front, or as a means to destabilize the empire for its imperialistic attitudes towards other countries. The above is well explained in the discussion below. Early Terrorism America is a country founded on the tenets of freedom, justice and equality among all the people. The constitution of America is among the most progressive supreme laws in the world as it aims at enhancing this freedom, justice and equality for all those living within the country’s borders. However, to attain this, the country had to undergo a brutal seven-year war of i ndependence between 1775 and 1782. Some quarters point at this war as the precursor of domestic terrorism in America. This is because the colonists led by George Washington used violence against the British army to proclaim their independence and establish the United States of America (Zalman, 2012). The violence that occurred during the struggle led to loss of lives and is seen as terrorism in some quarters. However, that remains debatable. White Supremacy Terrorism Before the American Civil war that lasted between 1861 and 1865, slavery existed in several states, in America, more so, the southern states. Therefore, some parts of the society were organized in a master-subject situation. This situation naturally created supremacy of certain races over others. Since it is the black people who were enslaved by the white people, the state of affairs in the American states where slavery existed can be defined as one where whites were viewed as being superior to blacks. However, after th e war, slavery was abolished in America. Measures were also taken by the Congress and the Union military to enforce equality for all people. This move destabilized the state of white supremacy over the black race and did not go well with white supremacists. They felt that their prestige in the society as a superior race disappeared. This led to the formation of Ku Klan Klux (KKK) whose aim was to terrorize the black Americans and their white sympathizers (Gage, 2000). The KKK engaged in