Dr. Word: No, Jan, immigrants aren’t terrorists

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by David Safier

Immigrants in Arizona are Terrorists? So said our Accidental Guv on Fox:

Here are Brewer's "terrorist" lines from the interview:

"You know Arizona has been under terrorist attacks, if you will, with all of this illegal immigration that has been taking place on our very, very porous border."

[snip]

"We do not and will not tolerate illegal immigration — bringing with it very much so the implications of crime and terrorism into our state."

Dr. Word looked up the dictionary definition and the U.S. legal definition of terrorism. It looks like Brewer's statement may border on psychological terrorism, but according to the definition, Arizona's illegal immigrants are not terrorists.

Here's a standard dictionary definition:

Ter·ror·ism, Noun: The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.

Some border crossers use violence and threats, but is the purpose "to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes"?

Let's see, how about drug related violence? If border crossing drug runners are terrorists, then so is everyone involved in the drug trade here in the U.S., citizen and non citizen. Does Brewer include our home grown drug trade under the terrorism category?

How about kidnappings? Those are definitely meant to intimidate and coerce. But like the drug running, they're cut from the same cloth as other criminal activity in the U.S. They're meant to intimidate and coerce their victims. The purpose is financial, not political.

Here's a definition under U.S. law:

The term “terrorism” means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.

That definition fits Tim McVeigh and the 9/11 perpetrators, but illegal immigrants? Nope. Doesn't work.

But if you're looking for "political motivation" . . .

Brewer certainly isn't resorting to violence in her interview on Fox, but she's trying to escalate the climate of fear in the country by the misuse of the term "terrorism" to further her political agenda.

While Dr. Word is not one to torture the language (He leaves that to the "Bus drivers and bureaucrats" folks at the Goldwater Institute), he would assert that Brewer's comments are about an inch closer to the definition of terrorism than the actions of illegal immigrants she is attacking.

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2 thoughts on “Dr. Word: No, Jan, immigrants aren’t terrorists”

  1. I respectfully suggest that Jan Brewer quit talking since the more she talks the more she reveals her ignorance and while ignorance may be bliss – that is not the case when it is the governor of a state.

    To those upset with immigrants, we are a nation of immigrants. No wave of immigration was welcomed with open arms by those already living here and especially not by the Indians, from whom we stole this country. Take a look at the history books, at the pictures of signs on factories which did not welcome immigrants. My favorite is the one that said “No Irish Need Apply” – yet the grandson of one of those “No Irish Need Apply”, John Kennedy, became the president of the United States!!!!!

  2. ATTENTION … All hispanic move out from Arizona, move to Texas, leave Arizona State more DRY that it is right now.

    MOVE OUT, there is a lot of better states than the DESERT… Move to CALIFORNIA, NEW MEXICO, TEXAS.

    Give that WOMAN a good lesson, WAKE UP,. WAKE UP…. MOVE OUT.

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