Humanities Oral Speech Assignment : Olivia Pease

The phrase “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” is a view terrorists themselves happily accept. i.e. America. Terrorists do not see themselves as evil, they see themselves as rebels paving the way to a better future, protecting their values and their lives. So, then, what defines a victim? Are there any winners? They believe they are legitimate combatants, fighting for what they believe in, and using whatever means possible to achieve their goals. Sound familiar. Which is why, so often the stories are at odds; victims of terrorism see the terrorist as a criminal with no regard for human lives, while the terrorist see themselves as a shining symbol of traditional values and freedom. The majority public’s view, however; is what defines a terrorist. Terrorists often try to foster a “Robin Hood” facade or image, in the hopes of swaying the majority of the public towards their goals. Towards their ideals. Sympathetic views towards terrorism act as the most integral part of a terrorist organizations psychological warfare, and despite being countered vigorously by the government and the media, if sympathy and support are sustainable, then terrorist organizations will continue to thrive. Terrorism is largely both tactic or strategy; crime or holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression or an inexcusable abomination. But doesn't it depend on those whose point of view is being expressed? So whose view matters? The people who write

The classical definition of a freedom fighter according to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary is “a person who takes part in a resistance movement against an oppressive political or social establishment” (Freedom Fighter). Note that this definition does not state what type of resistance is involved: it does not require the resistance to by of a violent nature. Perhaps the key word in this definition is “oppression.” Typically, an oppressed people are different in some way than the majority of the people in a nation. Though, sometimes, as in India during use of the caste system, the majority were the oppressed at the mercy of the minority who held the power. Oppression occurs when the ruling people use their power to ignore and/or abuse the basic civil rights of a people. It also occurs when one group has “privilege” such that they

John Brown's actions at Pottawatomie Creek and Harper's Ferry can be seen as acts of terrorism by a person or peoples opinion, but a closer study of modern and historic violent actions show he was a freedom fighter. Certainly, this is factual because there is no actual definition of terrorism, it is simply an opinion on someone's actions. Therefore, it is almost irrelevant for one be convicted a terrorist if no one can actually have a justified reasoning behind their choices.

Do you think John Brown would be considered a freedom fighter or a terrorist in today’s world with the actions he had in the 1800’s? John brown will be compared with other terrorist groups and freedom fighter groups. That’s how we will see if he is a freedom fighter or a terrorist in today’s world. Due to all the killing to free the slaves at Harpers Ferry and Pottawatomie Creek, John Brown’s actions at Harpers Ferry and Pottawatomie Creek are not justified because directly targeting the government institutions, I consider him a terrorist.

Protagonists also known as the main character or the hero. A protagonist can make or break the story. A hero is defined as a person who goes on a quest to save, restore or heal the community. Most heroes have the same qualities; however, what the character does with the qualities is a different story. For example, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, author unknown and Oroonoko by Aphra Behn are two works where the protagonists are comparable. For example, both men are on a dangerous journey, a woman starts their downfall, and lastly, both put their trust in the wrong people. However, they differ in many factor; the main one however, is that Sir Gawain is a knight and Oroonoko is a prince.

The character of types of terrorists is important to look at in order to understand possible causes for them to continue

The news often circulates with stories of brilliant firefighters and outstanding soldiers. The media label these people as ‘heroes’. However, the definition of a hero can be very elusive. Many kids believe that heroes have to be athletic and robust, but as they grow up, they realize a hero 's actions and thoughts can be more influential than their physical abilities. It can be difficult to determine what elements make up a hero. However, by examining heroes in different stories, the elements of what makes a hero can become clearer. Classic heroes in The Odyssey can be examined, along with the heroes in Fahrenheit 451 and The Sniper. By taking apart the characteristics and traits of these heroes, a deeper understanding of a hero can be found. Rather than by a character 's physical abilities, a hero can be defined by their displays of courage, determination, humanity, profound changes in personality and behaviour, and a fatal flaw.

Terrorist and Freedom fighter can be separated through there definition, but not through there synonyms that clarify an unjust distinction. It is a mentality that majority of American’s apply whether they realize it or not. Individuals according to Steven Handel believes that we implement “The Us vs. Them Mentality” by extension elaborates the mentality that individuals for instance, Americans, give people who are different than us through race, gender, age, nationality, culture, religion, or socioeconomic status. In his article, The Us vs. Them Mentality: How Group Thinking Can Irrationally Divide Us, Handel maintains that “We see it all the time in politics (Republicans vs. Democrats)” in other words these two groups act irrationally and uncooperative. Consequently this causes the two groups to be blind and fail to recognize other people’s interests and values. Do we as American’s also fail to recognize the interest or values of a terrorist or do we just assume that they are pure evil? I believe that we fail to recognize a terrorist interests and values. The ends justify the means but American’s should not ignore these common differences. Americans should be super mindful of the group that we identify ourselves in and the way we view other people because it might have a negative effect.

A terrorist is someone that uses terrorism to attain political goals. It is the unlawful use of violence and force against people and property to persuade a population or government. A “Speedy Trial” guarantees that all persons accused of criminal actions have a right to a speedy trial. “Due Process” is fair treatment through the regular judicial system, especially for citizens. “Equal Protection” is part of the 14th amendment of the Constitution. It prohibits states from denying anyone within it’s jurisdiction the equal protection of laws. This means that the laws of a state must treat everyone in the same way as others in their same situation. As far as if a suspected terrorist is entitled to the same Constitutional protection as someone

The word hero stimulates distinct ideas within each individual’s mind; some people may imagine a strong, muscular, super-powered, and confident human being. This type of thought process is what some people would believe is the ideal way to describe a hero, while other individuals may believe that a brave, honest, selfless, and courageous individual, that sacrifices him or herself for a good cause, to be the best way to portray a hero. In the article, “The Thematic Paradigm”, Robert B. Ray categorizes the official hero and unofficial hero. The introduction of the official and unofficial heroes allowed other types of heroes to be discussed such as the anti-hero and the reluctant hero. However, whether or not these heroes remain prevalent in

The statement that one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist is not valid and this is because the differences between the two are far more complex than perspective alone. The issue with perspective being the only distinction is in the difficulty to accurately define terrorism in a way synonymous to describing the characteristics of a freedom fighter. In examining the characteristics of numerous definitions it becomes evident that there is a distinction in the relationship which terrorists and freedom fighters have with civilians when carrying out their violent and politically motivated goals.

Beginning with the word ‘terrorist’, a very loaded term in today’s world and the word she wishes to analyse – Dharker offers a number of alternatives to

Webster's Dictionary defines protagonist as "one who takes the leading part in a drama; hence, one who takes lead in some great scene,

When we think of terrorist, we might think of radical Islamic individuals or groups who would take pride in killing anyone who is not Muslim. Even more, there are antagonistically people who want nothing more but to destroy the lives of innocence people because of their belief system. Take an individual like Theodore Kaczynski for instance; he was a former University of California at Berkeley math professor. Otherwise known as the “Unabomber,” he was indeed a terrorist because he used explosives that killed three people and wounded eighteen others in a span of almost two decades. Even more, his brother David Kaczynski was responsible for his capture.

The hero archetype has prevailed throughout literature and media for thousands of years. This quixotic character completes a quest or expedition with little to no faults. In recent times, the ideal hero archetype is challenged by the untoward anti-hero archetype. Today, the anti-hero is largely represented and featured in recent film and society. The hero archetype is losing prevalence in modern fiction stories due to the increasing demand of the anti-hero.