[Opinion] The Moral Imperative
[Experts]
Shortly after the atrocity of September 11, the global head of news at Reuters in London pointedly re-emphasized his agency’s policy of not using the term “terrorists” to describe the perpetrators of this or any other evil act.
Freedom fighters (defined as the good guys) do not use such tactics. They may strike opposing armies, communications centers, and other physical targets, but if they target shopping centers or schools, they are terrorists.
The inability to differentiate between good and evil, aggression and defense, and the absurd claim that such variations are entirely subjective and judgmental, reflects a fundamental moral blindness. Instead, many journalists, particularly outside the United States, ridicule the clear ethical distinctions made be President Bush, and the labeling of Arafat and his followers as terrorists.