Dear Future President,

In its broadest practical sense, terrorism is the use of violence to further a political or social cause. Individuals and organizations that use violence to achieve their political goals are called "terrorists" when they aim their attacks at civilians who are not directly involved in shaping government policy. Using violence to achieve political ends may seem unnecessary in democratic countries, where people who are upset over a government's policies can express their discontent while voting in the next election. But many terrorists live under, and fight against, governments that do not allow voting—or dissent of any kind. Terrorism has been used by a wide range of organizations in many different cultures. Even within the same terrorist organization, a variety of personalities exist. Nevertheless, many terrorists have some characteristics in common.   Some politicians like to say that terrorism never works. However, this is not always true. Many political activists believe that violence does work, even if sometimes indirectly, and point to examples in history as evidence. The French Revolution was a shining example for radicals throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and was a major inspiration for the 1917 Russian Revolution.  Terrorism should stop around the world.

Sincerely,

Nathan