What is terrorism for kids

Stories and News No. 704

You can explain it with a definition: The deliberate commission of an act of violence to create an
emotional response through the suffering of the victims in the furtherance of a political or social agenda.
Or, maybe, you could tell it with a story…

Once upon a time there was a planet.
A small one, nothing exceptional.
But it was all there.
Water, food, animals.
Nature, in brief.
However, there were also four human beings.
Without specifying between male or female, high or little, white, black, yellow or red.
So no one might feel excluded.
Most importantly, accused.
I will not tell even the name, for the same reason.
To distinguish, I will call them One, Two, Three and Four.
By tacit agreement, they had divided the planet into equal parts.
On each side there was everything and everybody live in peace and gladness.
Look at them now, at this very moment, I wish you remember them well, because people from this planet were easy to forget.
Like RAM, the computer’s volatile memory: every time you turn off, everything starts again from zero.
But human memory is not like the PC: you cannot turn it off.
You can do it only with brain.
The free ride was short-lived, because someday One awoke in the morning with doubts that changed history forever.
"Why should I be content with only a quarter of the planet? I am the most intelligent, I must have at least half. It’s a matter of justice."
At the same time, also Two opened his eyes with the same urgent question: "Why do I have only a quarter of the planet? I am the strongest, I should have at least twice as much. It’s matter of justice."
Simultaneously, Three exclaimed loudly, while having breakfast: "Why do I have only a quarter of the planet? I am the most beautiful, they must give me double space. It’s a matter of justice."
What can you do, justice is like a pie: everyone takes a piece, until there is no more for others.
The three began to discuss, before calmly and then vehemently, coming to furious quarrels.
Thus, the first threats arrived.
"I am the most intelligent," One cried. "If you don’t give me what I deserve I will use my wits to make it right."
"I am the strongest," Two replied. "If you don’t give me what I deserve I will use my muscles to make it right."
"I am the most beautiful," Three said to both. "If you don’t give me what I deserve I will use my charm to convince someone to give me his land."
"Someone who?" One asked. "You tell us your plan and now we'll be careful."
"Well said," Two remarked.
Someone who?
At that very moment the contenders were crossed by the same thought, which led them to move eyes on Four.
He felt observed and greeted.
So did the three and each one went home.
The following day, One said to Four: "My dear, I'm here to defend you from Two and Three."
"Because they want to rob you, but don’t worry: I will use my intelligence to protect you. In return, you will give me half of your land. Think about it, better half than nothing. Trust me, it's the right thing. "
Four accepted immediately, without questions.
The next day, Two said to Four: "Dude, I'm here to defend you from One and Three."
"Three, I understand, but One too? Just yesterday he offered to defend me from you and the other one..."
"He is the most intelligent, he cheated you. However, you don’t need to worry, I am here, the strongest. I'll protect you. In return, I want half of your land, it is the right thing. "
"I understand, but I have already given a half to One and now I live in the other..."
"No problem, you can stay there, just pay the rent and we agree. Better this than nothing, trust me."
Four trusted.
On the third day, even Three showed up.
"My dear, I'm here to defend you from One and Two."
"Are you sure? Because both are protecting me from you..."
"They are fooling you, probably right now they are laughing at you. Anyway, don’t worry, I got it. I am the most beautiful. I will enchanted them with my charm, keeping them away from you. In return, you must give me half of your land."
"I can’t."
"You see, I have given a half to One and Two has now the other. I'm just pay the rent on the latter."
"No problem," Three said. "This is all resolved. You give me this last part, I will pay the rent."
"But… where am I going to live?"
"Simple: you can migrate to my land."
"Sure, come to me, there is jobs and prospects for the future. Better immigrant than nothing, trust me."
Four trusted again.
However, from that day he began to be more and more confused.
So nervous.
Depressed, but also moody.
Months passed, years too, and Four became even unstable.
Also because things got event worse.
While the past history had been canceled at all, the attitude of others became paradoxical.
One said: “I don’t want Four in my land, people like him are not welcome because they are not well mannered.”
Two repeated the same concept, adding that four was too different from him and that everyone should have to stay at his home.
And what about Three? He declared that Four was in his land only to bring violence and crime.
So he expelled him.
But where, as also the others had banned him?
So, Four began to dig, looking for a place to stay.
A heat place.
He dug.
And dug.
Until he reached the heart of the planet.
A huge and beating heart, made entirely by live fire.
Four watched the flames and felt in the belly a boiling mixture increased over time, fueled by a whole life.
Anger and grief, mad and tears soaked eyes, clenched fists and nails embedded in the palms of the hands.
Without any more doubts he threw himself into the heart.
Of fire.
The explosion that followed was tremendous.
Shaking the small planet.
And for the first time terror invaded the lives of the inhabitants of the world.

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© 2008-2018 Alessandro Ghebreigziabiher