These men are all terrorists. None of them are Muslim. None of them were labelled ‘terrorists’ by the mainstream media, who instead chose to use the terms ‘mentally ill’, ‘shooter’, ‘killer’ and other names much tamer than that normally reserved for Muslim perpetrators.
1. James Holmes: Aurora cinema shooting, 2012.
Death count: 24
- Ex-roommate publishes a study of why Holmes may have turned out so wrong
- CBS News further highlight the fact that he was ‘mentally ill’
2. Adam Lanza: Sandy Hook kindergarten shooting, 2012.
Death count: 27 (excluding himself)
- Huffington Post insist that he was not, unbelievably, under the influence and was, amazingly, acting of his own accord
- An in-depth analysis of the personality and psyche of Adam Lanza
3. Anders Breivik: Oslo shooting, 2011.
Death count: 77
- NPR try to wrap their heads around why he might have done it
- New York Times consistently refers to him as ‘Mr. Breivik’
4. James von Brunn: Holocaust Memorial shooting, 2009.
Death count: 1
- Guardian provides evidence that he is an anti-Semite, a white supremacist and affiliated with a racist organisation, yet never once refers to him as a terrorist
- Washington Post emphasises his old age and offers insight from his relatives
The final one shares the same death toll as the recent Woolwich murder. Yet why, in both articles (and in all articles listed in this post regarding all of these perpetrators) is the word ‘terrorist’ never once mentioned? Whereas the Woolwich murderer, who is Muslim but linked with no violent organisation, was instantly labelled a terrorist and sparked strong anti-immigration protests in the UK.
I smell an absurd double standard.