When I say that terrorism is war against civilization, I may be met by the objection that terrorists are often idealists pursuing worthy ultimate aims—national or regional independence, and so forth. I do not accept this argument. I cannot agree that a terrorist can ever be an idealist, or that the objects sought can ever justify terrorism. The impact of terrorism, not merely on individual nations, but on humanity as a whole, is intrinsically evil, necessarily evil and wholly evil.
—Benjamin Netanyahu
This is a valid criticism of Kathy Boudin. She murdered two security guards while robbing a bank truck so that she could finance a spree of terror bombings. In her own mind, she believed that the violence she perpetrated was justified by her politics. The police in Speeway Indiana believed that Brett Kimberlin launched a bombing wave to distract attention away from the murder investigation of Julia Schyphers, a grandmother who was shot execution style soon after removing her granddaughters from the resident of Brett Kimberlin because she suspected that Kimberlin was a pervert. Kimberlin’s crimes had absolutely nothing to do with politics. Only later did he try to manipulate others into supporting his release by trying to posture as a “political prisoner.” Posting a denouncation of politically motivated killings in a blog keenly interested in Brett Kimberlin only helps reenforce Kimberlin’s false persona. His is a common criminal, no more, and no less.