What is it called if you got fired and later you kill your former co-workers?

jamesrage · Oct 3, 2014

countryboy said:
I never said it was an act of terrorism. I was merely wondering why liberals refuse to even entertain the possibility.

I do not think it is liberal refusing to entertain the possibility. Just because a muslim murders someone doesn't make it a terrorist act and so far this beheading case screams someone going postal. Yeah if he was in the middle of worked and for no reason screamed allah akbar and just started killing people left and right it could be argued that it was a terrorist act.

TheDemSocialist · Oct 3, 2014

"An Oklahoma prosecutor announced Thursday that he plans to seek the death penalty for Alton Nolen, a man accused of beheading one women and attempting to murder a second. Nolen is a recent convert to Islam and his Facebook posts indicate sympathies for terrorists such as Osama bin Laden. That, and the similarity of his alleged crime to beheadings carried out by ISIS members, has led to speculation in conservative media that Nolen was a "jihadist."

While it's possible that Nolen's anti-American views were a motivating factor in his alleged crimes, prosecutors so far have said they think Nolen was motivated more by race than religion. The immediate trigger seems to have been anger over losing his job — his extreme, violent reaction could be a sign of mental illness.

More important, no evidence has emerged of links between Nolen and ISIS or any other militant group. Whether or not Nolen was trying to ape the ISIS beheadings, it appears that he acted alone."
There's nothing linking the Oklahoma beheading to any groups, terrorist or otherwise - Vox

jonny5 · Oct 3, 2014

jamesrage said:
What is it called if you got fired and later you kill your former co-workers?

Going Postal I.E. Work-place violence
Terrorist attack
A little of both
other
Apparently some of the talk show pundits seem to think getting fired and later returning to your former place of employment to kill your former co-workers is terrorism. Most people would call that going postal or work place violence, not terrorist. Getting pissed off because you lost your job as far as I know are not one of the reasons a terrorist murders someone.

Based on the limited information, i voted other. Its simply called murder. That the victim was a coworker isnt really important. Im assuming there is more to the story than the person simply got fired and later killed a co-worker.

Paschendale · Oct 4, 2014

I'm pretty sure it's just called murder.

radcen · Oct 4, 2014

jamesrage said:
What is it called if you got fired and later you kill your former co-workers?

Going Postal I.E. Work-place violence
Terrorist attack
A little of both
other
Apparently some of the talk show pundits seem to think getting fired and later returning to your former place of employment to kill your former co-workers is terrorism. Most people would call that going postal or work place violence, not terrorist. Getting pissed off because you lost your job as far as I know are not one of the reasons a terrorist murders someone.

IMO, the proper term is "murder", though "going postal" is acceptable as a slang version, but even that glosses over the seriousness. I'd prefer we keep serious issues such as murder labeled seriously as such.

To me, 'terrorism' involves intent, and perhaps a wider goal, than just the individual action itself. I think 'terror(ism)' is becoming overused much in the same way the word 'abuse' has become overused.

Unrepresented · Oct 4, 2014

radcen said:
IMO, the proper term is "murder", though "going postal" is acceptable as a slang version, but even that glosses over the seriousness. I'd prefer we keep serious issues such as murder labeled seriously as such.

To me, 'terrorism' involves intent, and perhaps a wider goal, than just the individual action itself. I think 'terror(ism)' is becoming overused much in the same way the word 'abuse' has become overused.

It says a lot about out society that we have synonyms for murder the way that Eskimos have a vocabulary for snow and ice.

CLAX1911 · Oct 6, 2014

Depends on how many, 50, national news media star. One or two, murder.

Sabanist · Oct 12, 2014

What is it called when people make arguments while omitting significant pieces of information? Dishonesty

I dont know if what the guy did in oklahoma is terrorism, but its quite possible thats what he meant it to be

Manc Skipper · Oct 12, 2014

Speaking of significant omissions, he did it with a work knife, at work, having just been fired, to a supervisor. Workplace violence, going postal, murder. Call it what you will, but no matter how much you might want it to be so, screaming terrorism doesn't make it so.

Sabanist · Oct 12, 2014

What if he says he is doing it for allah or because she is an infidel etc

Incomplete information does not eliminate any conclusions

ashurbanipal · Oct 12, 2014

The intent is what makes a crime terrorism. Terrorism need not always include murder, though this is by far its most common instantiation. When an act is committed with the intent to cause fear in order to effect some agenda, it's terrorism. If the main intent is just to blow a bunch of stuff up or kill a bunch of people, it's not terrorism.

It's unclear in the Oklahoma case whether this was an act of terrorism.

sawdust · Oct 12, 2014

Eric7216 said:
Murder.

Don't we lose something when we make distinctions in a crime? The murdered person is just as dead whether it was a result of terrorism, work-place violence, hate crime, class warfare, victimhood, etc. A life was taken-that should be enough. There are few excuses for taking a life and in this case none of those excuses apply.

Your question is too broad. Terrorism generally involves murder in the name of a cause. If someone is fired and they believe that murdering their former co-workers in the name of a cause larger than their personal desires, it can be labeled terrorism. Doesn't matter if it's jehad, animal rights or climate change. On the other hand if they are just pissed and want revenge, it's murder.

LetsGoBrandon · Oct 12, 2014

TeleKat said:
Terrorism is usually defined as killing large amounts of people in an attempt scare the **** out of them as a means to push a certain political agenda. Going full nutjob on your former coworkers is just workplace violence.

Not when you are obsessed with fanatical Islamic practices such as beheading and screaming: "Allahu Akbar!" while carrying out your acts of murder. That is terrorism.

LetsGoBrandon · Oct 12, 2014

countryboy said:
That's not what I asked.

I heard the guy was suspended, not fired. Is that inaccurate? I also heard he is a convert to Islam. Is that inaccurate? Is beheading a victim in any way unusual? Do you not think it appropriate to investigate this incident thoroughly? Has the investigation been completed? Why are libs so reluctant to consider the possibility that this assailant might be a jihadi?

It's an Obama thang. After the Navy Seals took out OBL the Obama administration started pushing the theme: "We got Bin Laden...the war on terrorism is over". That's why the Fort Hood shooting was labeled as workplace violence....and it's why they created the phony "It was da video!" in regards to Benghazi. They just do not want to back down and accept that we are still in a war against fanatical Islamic terrorism.

LetsGoBrandon · Oct 12, 2014

Unrepresented said:
Murder is murder. It doesn't really matter what form it is in, the outcome is the same.

And terrorism is terrorism. If it's done in the name of a fanatical version of Islam...it's terrorism as well as murder.

LetsGoBrandon · Oct 12, 2014

countryboy said:
Clearly you aren't interested in having a serious discussion on the matter. Have a nice day.

You know a leftwinger has lost an argument when he/she resorts to snarky sarcasm.

LetsGoBrandon · Oct 12, 2014

Buck Ewer said:
You don't have to be a Jihadist to behead someone you know.
Just ask O.J.

But then OJ was hopped up on drugs and most likely did not shout "God is great" in Arabic while carrying out his act.

LetsGoBrandon · Oct 12, 2014

Manc Skipper said:
Speaking of significant omissions, he did it with a work knife, at work, having just been fired, to a supervisor. Workplace violence, going postal, murder. Call it what you will, but no matter how much you might want it to be so, screaming terrorism doesn't make it so.

You have to take into consideration why he was fired. He was fired for vocal obsession with jihadi behavior. The 9/11/01 hijackers took over planes using simple box cutters. Do agree that was terrorism? Or do you think it was just "transportation violence"?

Manc Skipper · Oct 12, 2014

He's mentally ill. Religious delusions are common, ask any of the Jesuses sleeping rough under community care.

LetsGoBrandon · Oct 12, 2014

Manc Skipper said:
He's mentally ill. Religious delusions are common, ask any of the Jesuses sleeping rough under community care.

I really don't care. In my opinion anyone who commits a terrorist act is in fact mentally ill. That does not necessarily mean they cannot distinguish from right and wrong.

TeleKat · Oct 12, 2014

ObamacareFail said:
Not when you are obsessed with fanatical Islamic practices such as beheading and screaming: "Allahu Akbar!" while carrying out your acts of murder. That is terrorism.

Killing while being muslim does not make one a terrorist.

DA60 · Oct 12, 2014

Severe anger issues.

Lakryte · Oct 12, 2014

I'd call that murder.

What is it called if you got fired and later you kill your former co-workers?