Acts of terror have been performed throughout the world since the beginning of history, with the first major bombing in the US happening in Hay-market Square, occurring in 1886, killing a number of civilians and 8 policeman. These acts of terror have continued on, with obvious tragedies such as 9/11 and the Sandy Hook Massacre having permanent impacts on the world we live in today.
This brings up a question – with terrorism happening often throughout history, what would possibly motivate someone to go through with such brutal, psychopathic actions? Is it religion? Is it mental illness? Is it hatred? Professor Scott Veenvliet teaches the Psychology of Evil, as well as Religion as Fanshawe College, and he believes almost all acts of terror share the same common bond: a warlike mentality. He says “when these so called terrorists have an adversary that they need to attack, the motivation is there for them to strike out, and in their mind, they convince themselves that the people they are attacking are truly enemies, just as legal of a target as an enemy soldier”.
This motive could stand to reason why so many terrorist acts occur, with thousands of lives lost yearly due just to terrorism. As a world, we must come together to help stop acts of terror and we must help develop peaceful habits in order to win the war on terror.
If you’re looking for ways to help prevent terrorism, look no farther!