Read on Twitter
In the reverberations of Nashville, I’m encouraged to see a return to inane bickering about whether all scary violence is “terrorism” (and as a bonus, whether every bomber who blows himself up is a "suicide bomber”). Debate over such things is a luxury pursuit, like croquet.
The bombing itself is of course horrible and traumatizing—which is why it should be separated from petty language games played by people who care not at all about the bombing, only their pet causes, about which Nashville is an excuse to yammer on again
There are right answers to questions about what “terrorism” is and when the term gets used, just as one can say smart things about the term “suicide bombing.” But it could hardly be more obvious when the “debates” are real and when they are political self-pleasuring
The bombing is a tragedy for Nashville, but a lucky break for those who use social media for exhibitionism, a kind of Chatroulette for getting off politically in front of horrified and bemused strangers
Btw I don't mean to shame people who play croquet with themselves. It's perfectly natural, we all do it—just do it in the privacy of the home, out of public view
