GUY BENSON: Identify the Terrorism By Name, But Not Its Perpetrators. “On the issue of guns, I’m a supporter of the Second Amendment and a critic of the “do something” mentality. It’s not fair or right to curtail the rights of law-abiding citizens because of the actions of a tiny fraction of the population. And yes, it’s a tiny fraction. Paradoxically, US crime and murders remain at or near multi-decade lows, even as the number of guns owned in America has exploded. That said, even within that more optimistic context, deadly mass shootings are on the rise.”

Mass shootings shouldn’t be lumped in with regular crime, which generally features some sort of relatable motive — greed, jealousy, anger, turf wars — directed at someone or something specific. But they aren’t quite terrorism, either, which by definition includes a political agenda.

I suppose the confusion helps push the anti-gun agenda, so I wouldn’t expect it to end.