Are Clappers Modern Day Terrorist

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. At present, there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism. Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts, which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians). Are clappers the embodiment of this idea?

Clappers are people who fill their bodies with a highly volatile and explosive substance set off by a sudden movement usually involving pressure or a collision with force. This is why clappers set themselves off by clapping. It is high impact and not painful to its user. Clappers use their bodies as a message to send to the world. But, is it a message of terror? Or is it something more as they claim. It’s true that the clappers do strike fear into the general population but is it the same as the terrorist 50 years ago? In a world where the teenage population has to live in fear, it causes a certain craze or desperation. When you have to up to SOMEONE else’s standard for your life, what goes through your mind when an Unwind order has your name written on it. Does it cause a sort of mania, or maybe an indirect way of starting a rebellion in the youth of our country? Clappers seem to destroy themselves because they can’t take the pressure of having to continuously live up to another person’s expectations. Their actions are considered dangerous and incredibly stupid, but has anyone taken into the consideration of the mind set of the children who commit such “heinous” acts? We immediately look at what wrong things they’ve done and not what drove them to make such a decision but now we’re going to dive deeper into this matter. The Bill Of Life states that a child cannot be unwound until the age 13. When the child turns 18 he is no longer eligible to be unwound. Although the pressure of constantly being watched and judged is enough to make someone make decisions that aren’t reasonable. Can you even begin to imagine that you’ve worked so hard to get so far in life and it only takes a simple slip up to cause you OWN PARENTS to have you disassembled and given away to strangers. Clappers are trying to protest this by surrendering their own bodies for the sake of everyone their age. They’re desperately trying to change something that has probably taken more than a few friends away from them. Is the pain of loss so unbearable that make them want to use themselves as the ultimate sacrifice. Or is it hatred? Hatred of the people who decided to have them taken away and taken apart. Or is it hatred of the people who created this completely absurd bill. Maybe it is just hatred that’s been nurtured inside them and finally found a way out by clouding their mind and judgment. Would you be able to forgive the people who decided to have you unwound? Or would you want some sort of vengeance. When the child lives with their parents…do they love them and that’s why they obey commands or do they fear what happens of they defy and rebel. The freedom and choice is ripped away from the child. This has a direct affect on the child. It makes them hate, afraid, worry and stressed. All of these negative emotions and feelings amplify and mature inside until they literally “explode” out of the person.

Who’s to blame for all the chaos caused by clappers? The person themselves or the people who DROVE them to this final conclusion of their lives. Who made them feel like their was nothing left for them. Who caused them to believe that they didn’t even have control of their lives when they really didn’t. Who’s morals are misconstrued…? Ours…or theirs…who is twisted and warped? Who is misconstrued…who is right and who is wrong…who is the evil doer and who is the one just trying to make things easier…? Who is to blame…? This reporter doesn’t have the answer. Do you?

Aaron Baker
February 9, 2010