Can we just be honest about what was really going on with the Orlando shooter?

[markpkessinger]

164. Sure it is . . .

. . . But then, so is racially motivated terrorism still terrorism, as in the case of the Charleston shootings. Yet the Justice Department resolutely refused to label that incident 'terrorism.' As I've stated downthread, both Orlando and Charleston meet the definition of domestic terrorism under federal law, so there's a fair argument that can be made that we should call both 'terrorism.' But applying the label selectively, using it only in those cases where the perpetrator happens to be Muslim, as both our media and government continue to do, is dishonest -- it is a tool for manipulating public hysteria and for ginning up support for our endless misadventures in the Middle East.

And worse, the whole 'terrorism' label distracts the public from discussion of one of the most obvious contributing factors to all of these incidents, namely the availability of high-capacity assault weapons.