After reading "Acts of terror? Austin plane attack prompts debate over when to use terrorism label" (article, Feb. 22), I found myself wondering what defines a terrorist in today’s society? This should be a simple question I could answer without having a second thought but, in my opinion, it’s not that simple.

As I grew up from the Sept. 11 attacks, I always considered a terrorist to be an individual from another country or nation who harmed citizens of a separate nation through violent acts to make a bold statement.

So is the man who crashed his plane into the Austin, Texas, building a terrorist or a criminal? Where do we draw the line? He harmed others because of the disagreements he had with our government.

Does that not make him suitable for the classification of a terrorist, or because he is American does that make him exempt from that label?

Scott O’DonnellMannheim, Germany