Intended or not, if the event is terrorizing, should it be classified as terrorism??

Question

Since the results of terrorist attacks, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires, etc; are:

Prewarnings

Fear

Run and/or take shelter

Lost Property

Unplanned Injuries

Unplanned Fatalities

Lost Money

Lost Credibility

Lost Memories

Rescue Efforts

Recovery Efforts

Salvaging through rubble

Cleaning up after someone/something else's actions

Rebuilding/Relocating

Re-Establishing;

Should the National Agencies that deal with Terrorism be involved with the PreWarnings through the Re-Establishings??

Answer 1

im pretty sure the working definition of terrorism is a deliberate action, on behalf of the "terrorist," to insue violence, fear and death, in an effort to shed light on a political issue.  

Are tornadoes fighting for freedom?

Answer 2

Eggster, on your primary question:  NO.  

Just because an event is terrorizing, it is not terrorism.  Terrorism is an act of human on human violence with the intent of not just killing or hurting the physical victims, but inflicting psychological terror (hence terrorism) on those not directly affected by the attack.  Terrorism is often, but not always, associated with a political or ideological agenda.  The events of 9/11/01 illustrate that.  Not only were the people in NYC, the Pentagon, and those in the plane that went down in PA killed or injured, but people all over this country (and other parts of the world) were scared out of their minds.  An earthquake, however scary and terrorizing to the victims, is not terrorism.

Eggster, on your secondary question, I'm gonna vote NO!

We have people at the National level working their tales off to fight terrorism.

But I don't think I want those people involved after "run and take shelter" on your list.  We don't really have the weatherman involved after "run and take shelter" either.

After the warnings are issued, the Warners are done.  Then it's time for the first responders.  For most disasters, LOCAL police, fire-rescue, ems, CERT teams, etc should handle injuries, fatalities, rescue, some recovery.  

After the initial emergency is over, then you get people with different specialties to deal with the 'clean-up' and 're-establishing' efforts:  insurance adjusters, mental health/counselors, demolitions, waste haulers, re-builders, etc.  

Each phase you list above is best handled by different entities.  More importantly, different entities with differnent trainings and skill sets.

To quote the Late President Reagan (I hope it get this right) "The scariest phase you will ever hear is, 'I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.'!"

Or maybe this will help:  Do you want the CIA rebuilding you house?  Do you want FEMA or HUD guarding our boarders?

Answer 3

An interesting concept, and question, but an act of terrorism denotes a deliberate action with intent to "terrorize".  Events, such as disasters, do not qualify as terrorism, even though the end result of these natural, or accidental man made events often leave the same types of traumatic scars on those who experience them first hand.  That being said, there is a significant difference in the way a person will react to the thought of a disaster, and the thought of experiencing an act of terrorism.