Domestic terrorism occurs when an individual or individuals of a country unleash violence on fellow citizens or the built environment. I think domestic terrorism exists in society due to extremism, which is typified by a system of beliefs and activities of persons who promote ideologically based violence to achieve political and religious objectives. Thus, domestic terrorists have attitudes that are considered by the majority in society as morally wrong (Kaplan, 2017).
In my opinion, people could be driven by some factors or they could be conditioned throughout their lives to engage in domestic terrorism. For example, individuals might be radicalized to acquire extreme beliefs. Thus, they act to harm others or destroy infrastructure. Besides, people could be unhappy with the leadership of a nation or state (Kaplan, 2017).
Homegrown terrorists might offer several reasons for planning and executing their acts of violence (Kaplan, 2017). They may claim that they are killing other people since they hold different religious views. They may also say that they feel unrecognized in the management of affairs of their nation. In addition, homegrown terrorists might state that they harm others and destroy infrastructure because their protests for economic empowerment have borne no fruits.
Although similar methods and consequences characterize domestic terrorism and hate crimes, there are differences between the two. Homegrown terrorists act because they feel that there exist political, ideological, or religious discrepancies. Extremism often characterizes homegrown terrorism in many countries across the world. Besides, the offenders may sometimes commit their crimes and end up committing suicide, especially when religious extremism is involved (Laqueur, 2017).
On the other hand, hate crimes are driven by hate toward others or systems; thus, they are not typified by religious, ideological, or political reasons. Extremism might not be an element in hate crimes around the world. Besides, hate criminals may not kill themselves after they commit their offenses (Laqueur, 2017).
Reference
- Kaplan, A. (2017). The counter-terrorism puzzle: A guide for decision makers. New
- Laqueur, W. (2017). A history of terrorism. New York, NY: Routledge.