Las Vegas shooting doesn't classify as 'terrorism'; Donald Trump's refusal to call it so is justified
FirstpostLouise Richardson, a political scientist stresses upon the need to determine the motivation behind the crime, before labelling it as terrorism As Americans recuperate from the initial shock and grief of Sunday’s shootout in Las Vegas that killed 59 people, there has been a strong demand of condemning the crime as “an act of terrorism”. From singer Ariana Grande, whose concert in Manchester was also hit by a similar attack in May, to everyday Americans, people are urging US authorities to label the act as “terrorism”. There’s also the sense that the resistance in terming the Las Vegas shooting as “terrorism” stems from the fact that the shooter was a white male with no known links to Islam. Therefore, until US authorities manage to prove that Paddock’s actions were motivated by white supremacy or Right-wing ideology, or any other political/ religious ideology, Trump’s decision to refrain from terming it “terrorism” seems warranted.
History of this topic
Why aren’t we calling the Pittsburgh shooting ‘terrorism’?
Al Jazeera
Las Vegas shooting was not an act of terror, say police: Is 'terrorist' label selectively applied to Indian Muslims?
Firstpost
Terrorism, race, religion: Defining the Las Vegas shooting
Associated Press
What Is, And Isn't, Considered Domestic Terrorism
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