Governments are terrorists.

You hear about terrorist groups every day. ISIS bombed this plane, Al Qaida took these hostages, etc. There are bad people doing bad things all over the world and some of them come in the form of militias and some of them come in the form of governments. How often do you read a headline about what the United States has done to others? How often do we read a headline stating the number of civilians killed by a US drone? How often do you read in the headlines about the civilians the US has kidnapped and held indefinitely in the infamous prison, guantanamo bay? Kind of funny how an entire population of peoples can be exposed to only one side of the story and not even bat an eye. Actually, it’s kind of scary.

These terrorist groups have been painted by the media to be portrayed in a very specific light. I do not agree with what ISIS/ISIL/Daesh are doing, but I cannot say it is different and less respectable than the very highly esteemed US of A. The US paints itself in this glowing white, purifying color. The US is sending money to aid countries in need. It is setting up bases in the middle east to help form a democracy. It is one of the “good guys” while these terrorist groups are the “bad guys” when really, in my own personal thoughts, they are all the “bad guys”. They are all using oppressive methods to gain control. They are all using violence to scare and coerce the population. They are all using guns and tanks and bombs to hurt each other. They are all fighting each other to gain control of any natural resources. They are all looking to grow in power and money and they are all willing to do that at the expense of our lives.

ISIS, Al Qaida, PKK, Hamas, or whatever other known group you have heard about are acting against the oppressive forces of the surrounding government. They have emerged because of the hierarchical nature of the government. It was a group of people who had joined their forces together because they felt that they were being oppressed in some way (whether physically, mentally, spiritually) by a bigger entity (i.e. the government). I am not saying that what they are doing is right because I do not support the idea of replacing one sick and twisted government with another form of sick and twisted governments is the way to go.

Governments oppress, steal, lie, kidnap, murder, and control. Terrorist groups like ISIS also oppress, steal, lie, kidnap, murder, and control. They are one in the same. The US government is not on any higher moral ground just because it is an accepted form of force. It is still wrong and unjust and it plays a huge role in why we see so many people joining forces to fight surrounding governments. Do not get sucked into all the media lies about how dark and evil one governing body is versus how honorable and just another is. Governments use violence to control and violence on any individual is not justifiable.

-Cristina Urquieta