Terrorism is NOT "killing a mass number of people". Terrorism (A) targets CIVILIANS (B) in an intentional effort to generate FEAR (C) in the attempt to COERCE some POLITICAL change. In other words: terrorism is an attempt to BLACKMAIL SOCIETY (force society to do something that they wouldn't otherwise do) by intentionally engendering FEAR in society through the THREATENING or KILLING of CIVILIANS. ***Examples*** Some whackadoodle who decides, "I'm gunna kill me a bunch of homosexuals, cuz they ain't right" isn't a terrorist. That guy wants to kill homosexuals. He doesn't want to generate fear in the homosexual community so that they all start hiding, for example. Someone who decides, "I'm gunna kill all of my classmates and teachers to get revenge on them" isn't a terrorist. Someone who decides, "I'm gunna kill my whole family and then myself, cuz I can't handle life" isn't a terrorist. *** On the other hand, someone who decides, "I'm gunna shoot a bunch of people at a concert, that'll freak a bunch of people out" is a terrorist. Someone who decides (see: the early 80s) "I'm gunna shoot me a bunch of truckers to scare the bejeezus out of them" is a terrorist. Someone who decides, "I'm gunna blow up an FBI building so that the guv'ment will be afraid" is a terrorist. Someone who decides, "I'm gunna blow up the World Trade Center to put the fear of Allah in those capitalist heathens" is a terrorist.