Gaspee Virtual Archives |
Terrorism and
the Gaspee Incident
Files from a
discussion group "As Maine Goes"
<http://www.asmainegoes.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/008131.html>
(stale link 2009)
Posted as a (slightly edited) example of
philosophical web discussions
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FJH: The difficult
thing about all of this for most of
us on AMG, is that we rely on a Constitution which was forged by
revolutionaries
and guerrilla warriors and, yes, terrorists. That is the history of
America.
What do we do when it is an Arab patriot who cries out "GIVE ME LIBERTY
OR GIVE ME DEATH" or "LIVE FREE OR DIE"?
Revenge is N O T the answer; justice is. But exactly how do we achieve
that sense of justice in a situation where we bear so much guilt in
creating
the grievances that spawned it? |
| James: FJH, You
shock me. The American revolutionaries
did not commit wanton acts of violence on innocent civilians. They
never
went to London to overthrow HRM's government and established order.
They
simply fought for independence on their own soil. That is a big
difference.
Your version is disgusting. |
| Wingman: FJH, in
answer to your question, I recommend
carpet bombing the SOB's. |
| FJH: You're a
wimp, James. Nuke 'em, double nuke 'em.
Triple nuke 'em. Yeh, dat's it! |
FJH: Oops...I
reread the post. what I had mean't to say
is that the American Revolution was regarded as a terrorist movement by
the British Government, and we, to a large extent, are viewed by many
in
the Arab world as being in the same position of the British Government.
For example, one major act of 'terrorism' was the burning of H.M.S.
Gaspee by a group of Rhode Islanders on June 9-10, 1772. The Gaspee
incident
is justly famous as a major event leading to the American
Revolution. It
is a much discussed act--note the date, that inflamed the British and
united
colonists.
Then there are the accounts of people who sided with Britain
and
were
driven out of the U.S. to Canada. Large portions of maritime Canada and
the St. Lawrence Valley were settled by these refuges. The accounts of
the 'terror' they endured are easily found in libraries in cities like
Kingston, Ontario.
This is an illustration of how the British used definitions of
TERROR.
It is writen by a contemporary Tamil Tiger who draws inspiration from
the
American Revolution:
States, Dissidents, And the
British
Terrorism
Law
by Francis Marion
On the 24th April last year a direct
descendant of
Francis
Marion wrote to the Ilankai Tamil Sangam, USA. Francis Marion was a
distinguished
war-hero in the American Revolutionary war. He was nicknamed the ‘Swamp
Fox’ by the British, because of his elusive tactics; they just couldn’t
catch him.
This writer said:
“Congratulations
on your Fine Victory at Elephant
Pass
and your excellent web page. As an American raised on the American
Revolution
and the Declaration of Independence I can't help rooting for the
LTTE.
If the Tigers are ‘Terrorists’ then so were George Washington, Ben
Franklin,
Thomas Jefferson and, of course my Great Great Uncle, Francis Marion
(aka
The Swamp Fox).
The government of the United Kingdom, which
has
now designated
the LTTE as terrorists, had also smeared George Washington, Benjamin
Franklin,
Thomas Jefferson and Francis Marion, with the same brush. In fact, back
in 1776, all fifty-six leaders of the American Revolution were branded,
and Britain wanted them ‘dead or alive.’ Their crime: they signed the
American
Declaration of Independence.
My point is that states have always used the definition of terrorism to
eliminate rebellous groups. We have to be careful not to revisit our
own
history, only with the roles reversed! |
FJH:
Your so-called logic
eludes me. The Colonial America situation
involved a group of people who were subjects to the government that
they
wanted to leave and that government had colonized America. Exactly
where
is the United States colonizing in the Middle East or central Asia? How
long have these terrorists been subjects of the United States
government?
|
AID:
The American
Revolutionaries
were regarded by the British as terrorists, and all you have to do is
check
a few dozen histories of the period to see that. You don't have to go
far
into the literature in the Arab world to see why Muslim fundamentalism
has spread through most of the Mid-East and their view of the U.S. is
one
of occupier.
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| Jon R: Remember
that the American revolutionaries were
in the minority in the colonies, said to be at most 1/3 of the
population.
Another thing forgotten is that there were riots on the streets of
London
and a split in cabinet over the handling of the American insurgents. |
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