"Certainly, the murder of civilians for political statement did not just begin on September 11, 2001"

In this quote, Cliff Stearns challenges the commonly held understanding that the events of September 11, 2001, represented the beginning of utilizing violence against civilians for political functions. Rather, he explains that the murder of civilians to make political statements has a long and awful history, predating the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The quote works as a pointer that acts of terrorism and political violence did not come from with the occasions of 9/11. Throughout history, there have been numerous instances where civilians have actually been targeted to accomplish political ends. One can look to different periods and occasions throughout different geographical contexts, such as the anarchist movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which frequently utilized bombings as a tactic in Europe and the United States. Similarly, the 20th century saw different nationalist and separatist motions around the world that turned to targeting civilians, such as the IRA in Northern Ireland or the attacks carried out by the ETA in Spain.

Stearns's assertion invites reflection on the wider historic patterns of how political grievances have actually tragically been revealed through violence. By concentrating on the occasions before 9/11, it highlights the idea that terrorism as a technique of sending out a political message goes beyond cultures, ideologies, and eras. It likewise implicitly recommends the need to deal with the origin of such violence instead of entirely concentrating on its manifestations.

In a wider sense, Stearns's declaration motivates a nuanced understanding of terrorism, advising policymakers, scholars, and the general public to look beyond the immediate past and consider the complex historical, social, and political factors that add to the cyclical nature of violence against civilians. By doing so, there may be higher potential for developing techniques focused on avoidance and resolution.