• 2017, Charlottesville, VA: White supremacist drives car into demonstrators, killing 1 and injuring 35. Mayor, director of FBI, US attorney general, media declare it “domestic terrorism.”

• 2021, Waukesha, WI: Black nationalist drives car into parade, killing 6 (including an 8-year-old) and injuring 62. Authorities and media declare that it is not terrorism.

Either the word “terrorism” loses all meaning, and we will have no way to describe this horrible act, or we will find the courage to use the word wherever it applies. This is not a small matter. This is not just semantics. If we cannot name something, how can we know when we see it, how can we point it out to others, and how can we combat it effectively?

Either both Charlottesville and Waukesha are acts of terrorism, or the word loses its meaning, leaving all of us more confused and more vulnerable. But perhaps that is the real purpose. Confused people are easier to control.