Ada Nguyen

Profs. Thiede and Boisvert

LBST 2213-Q22
18 Oct. 2016
One Persons Terrorist is Anothers Freedom Fighter
Framing is an effective technique that political leaders and the media use in order to sway
the publics opinion. By reframing a complex issue or choice, it generally oversimplifies it or
puts emphasis on one dimension over the other. For example, labeling a resistance movement as
a group of freedom fighters or terrorists.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan announced a new foreign policy, the Reagan doctrine,
that served as a foundation for the Reagan Administrations support of freedom fighters across
the globe. During his State of the Union Address in February, he announced, We must not break
faith with those who are risking their lives--on every continent from Afghanistan to
Nicaragua--to defy Soviet aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth. Support
for freedom fighters is self-defense. He also said in a different speech, Time and again we've
aided those around the world struggling for freedom, democracy, independence and liberation
from tyranny. . . . In the 19th century we supported Simon Bolivar, the great liberator. We
supported the Polish patriots, the French resistance and others seeking freedom. It's not in the
American tradition to turn away.1
By framing the rebels as freedom fighters defending their birthrights and also portraying
the Soviet Union as aggressive tyrants, Ronald Reagan persuaded the American public that their
support is the morally right thing to do. There is also underlying implications in the statement,
Its not in the American tradition to turn away. The United States had an obligation to support
the latest generation of freedom fighters.
In reality, there was controversy over U.S. support in Nicaragua because the U.S. decided
to back anti-communist mercenaries, the Contras, instead of a counterinsurgent state. Special
forces trained ruthless local paramilitaries who were later accused of assassinations and torture.
In addition, U.S. allies and American-trained battalions committed heinous acts, such as the
systematic execution of 750 civilians in December, 1981. The lessons drawn from U.S.
involvement in Central America contradict each other- one celebrates Americas role in freeing
Nicaragua from its oppressor in a land wrecked by war and another admits that the U.S. allied
with murderers, rapists, and torturers in order to do so. Nicaragua represented the disconnection
between justifying U.S. policy and supporting political terrorism.2
Carpenter, Ted Galen. "U.S. Aid to Anti-Communist Rebels: The "Reagan Doctrine" and Its Pitfalls." U.S. Aid to
Anti-Communist Rebels:
The "Reagan Doctrine" and Its Pitfalls. The Cato Institute, 24 June 1986. Web. 14 Oct.
2016. <http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa074.html>.
2
Grandin, Greg. Empires Workshop: Latin America, The United States and the Rise of the New Imperialism,
Henry Holt & Company 2007, p. 89-90
1

Before one can accuse the United States in possibly assisting with terrorism, one must
define it first. Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert, found notable differences in how federal
agencies defined terrorism. The State department included attacks on noncombatant targets
while the Department of Homeland Security emphasizes mass destruction and critical
infrastructure, and yet other departments have their own definitions of terrorism as well. The
Immigration and Nationality Act also has a broad definition of what a terrorist is, ranging from
detonating a nuclear weapon in Times Square to someone donating $5 to a group that may be
affiliated with terrorism. Terrorism doesnt have an exact definition but it can be defined as the
deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or the threat of violence in the
pursuit of political change.3 Governments prefer having such loose definitions for terrorism as it
increases their options for responding, and once an attack is labeled as terrorism, its justification
for extreme responses to the public.
On the other hand, the definition for a freedom fighter is a person who takes part in a
violent struggle to achieve a political goal, especially in order to overthrow their government.
Depending on ones perspective, a rebel group may be labeled as freedom fighters or a terrorist
group and by framing it as such allows governments to make actions for or against them.
In the above example, the portrayal of the contras as both freedom fighters and terrorist
are ultimately simplified stereotypes that serve primarily to justify existing ideological positions.
The Reagan administration described the rebels as noble freedom fighters in order for the
administration to advocate for military-aid programs unapologetically. The administrations
liberal opponents portrayal of the contras as terrorist thugs allowed them to oppose deeper U.S.
involvement in Central America without having to address troubling security issues.
This social reality is being targeted because there has been an influx of deaths caused by
terrorism in the past decade and a half. Since 2000, deaths directly caused by terrorism has
increased nine-fold by 2014, with 32,658 deaths in 2014 alone. A vast majority of the attacks
happen in Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria. 4
In light of what I have learned from this assignment, I can acquire three strategies to
identify others frames and using frames honestly and powerfully. I can further my education as
a psychology major in order to learn about how the brain works and why people have a certain
schema. This will allow me to better understand the reasoning behind someones perspective and
understand their frame of mind. I can acquire better debate skills through discussions held at the
university which allows me to learn about opposing views and speak about it in a peaceful
manner. Doing so would force me to use appropriate frames in order to construct a more
constructive and persuasive argument. I can also take liberal studies classes to learn about how
Jacobson, Louis. "What's the Definition of 'terrorism'?" P
olitiFact. Tampa Bay Times, 9th July 2013. Web. 14 Oct.
2016. <http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/jul/09/whats-definition-terrorism/>.
4
Costa-Roberts, Daniel. "4 Surprising Facts from the 2015 Global Terrorism Index." PBS. PBS, 23 Nov. 2015.
Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/4-surprising-facts-from-the-2015-global-terrorism-index/>.

things came about and to understand many different perspectives about a topic. From my short
experience with these classes, I have become more open minded and interested in learning about
how others think about a topic.