Vance Boelter is a Terrorist

The news media minces words.

The police don’t say it.

But make no mistake, Vance Boelter is a terrorist.

The man accused of shooting and killing former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and critically wounding Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette is a terrorist.

He’s a killer, but not just a killer.

He’s an assassin, but not merely an assassin.

He’s a terrorist.

The hit list found in his abandoned car listed potential victims from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa.

In America, the media and police don’t say the quiet part out loud about people like Vance Boelter.

But Vance Boelter is a terrorist.

The Oxford Dictionary defines a terrorist as “a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.”

By definition, Vance Boelter is a terrorist.

The names on the hit list include Democratic politicians like the ones he shot as well as individuals associated with Planned Parenthood and abortion rights. He also had “No Kings” protest leaflets in his car, meaning that he was likely targeting presidential protesters.

There is no question that Vance Boelter is a terrorist.

The only question is whether this fact will be publicly acknowledged.

There are already rumblings that the state charges will be the only ones lodged against him because if Boelter is charged by the government, the president could eventually pardon him.

The president’s hand should be forced.

These terroristic acts should be charged under federal statutes, and it’s possible that the president would pardon a terrorist like Boelter, just as he did when he pardoned January 6 terrorists.

These crimes should be classified as hate crimes and violations of the victims’ civil rights.

If the president chooses to pardon Vance Boelter, it will further condemn him. While he has continually mischaracterized the January 6 rebellion as a “day of love,” it will be hard for him to justify Boelter’s actions as righteous indignation.

There’s no righteousness in murder.

There’s no godliness in taking lives because you don’t like someone’s politics or philosophy.

These shootings were the acts of an evil, depraved individual.

They were acts of terrorism.

Yet, there is always hesitation at categorizing the actions of White, self-professed Christian men as terrorism.

Brown and Black people are often labelled terrorists.

Muslims are often considered terrorists without associated incidents of violence.

Lance Boelter isn’t Black, Brown, or Muslim.

Neither is Kyle Rittenhouse.

Nor is Dylann Roof.

Timothy McVeigh wasn’t any of those things, either.

Let’s call these people, the KKK, the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, the Aryan Brotherhood, and their ilk what they are.

They’re not White Supremacists; that’s just their philosophy.

They’re not just racists.

They’re terrorists.

That’s what they are, and they need to be treated accordingly.

Under any other presidential administration, they would be treated as terrorists.

But under this regime, they aren’t treated like terrorists.

They are recruited to be ICE agents and labelled as friends.