Domestic Terrorism

Since the days of the Old West, domestic terrorism has dug its roots into the United States. From Timothy McVeigh, whose motivations for the Oklahoma City bombing ranged from his complaints over the governments' dealing with certain political situations to his anger over the violence he witnessed during his stint in the military, to eco-terrorists and animal-rights activists who use violence in order to win others to their cause, the scope of terrorism is the United States is both large and diverse. While FBI agents search large cities for Al Qaeda terrorists in the United States, small town police arrest protestors who threaten to set fire to abortion clinics and make threats to far left and right wing organizations. Because a great deal of domestic terrorism centers around political ideas and activism, targeting domestic terrorism has become a rather controversial subject. Some argue that the demonstrations that often turn violent are indeed acts of terrorism, while others suggest that calling these acts terrorism infringes on the rights guaranteed in the constitution.

One example of this controversy concerns the rightwing group the Minuteman Organization, a group that patrols the United States-Mexico border in order to prevent illegal immigration. In 2007, Arizona lawmakers attempted to pass a law that changed the definition of domestic terrorism that would turn the organization into a terrorist group. Proponents of the law suggested that the minutemen's activities were illegal and should be included under the law, while the opposition argued that the law targeted the group because of their political beliefs (Baggett 2007).

Conclusion

Since the 1800s, terrorism has had a rich history in the United States. From armed militias that reeked havoc during the days of the Old West to Timothy McVeigh's ruthless bombing in Oklahoma City to eco and animal-rights terrorism, terrorists have made their names known by the violence they have caused. Because terrorism has become such a potent issue in the United States since September 11th, however, the government and public now know much more about terrorists than they have in the past....

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