I use that particular charactarization here because I mean to emphasize
that the attack was planned and carried out by a small number of people,
not by a nation, or even a sizable religious group.

Then say so. Calling them vandals grossly misrepresents the problems
and the dangers. It's irresponsible.

Actually, I am looking from a larger point of view - that of injury to
the country, not to individuals. It is easy to react to the sense that
this minimizes the tragedy of those killed, however we are sending our
children to be killed in response; that is equally tragic.

It is "vandalism" in the sense that the attack was small and isolated
compared to the size and strength of our country, as opposed to, say,
the attack on Pearl Harbor, and also in the sense that it was
perpetrated by a few individuals, rather than by another nation.

As for being an irresponsible choice of words, I disagree. Perhaps
there is a better word, I didn't think of it. But we tend, as the
victims, to use terms that justify our subsequent response. That too is
irresponsible.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
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