We were awakened this morning to news of grief and fear. A sniper, Stephen Paddock, shot hundreds of people during a concert in Las Vegas, He killed dozens, then himself.

As they report on last night’s mass shooting, commentators discussed whether to call it terrorism because nothing so far shows the shooter was motivated by a violent group or ideology, such as ISIS.

Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines terrorism as “the act of terrorizing; use of force or threats to demoralize, intimidate, and subjugate, esp. such use as a political weapon or policy.”

Terrorism: The act of terrorizing; use of force or threats to demoralize, intimidate, and subjugate, esp. such use as a political weapon or policy.

Even if this is not terrorism, it certainly qualifies as an act of terror.

Webster’s calls terror intense fear, a person or thing causing intense fear or the quality of causing such fear; terribleness.

Terror:
1, Intense fear
2 a. person or thing causing intense fear
    b. the quality of causing such fear; terribleness

Fear is natural and right after such a horrific event. Hundreds of families are hurting, recovering and grieving. We know that could have been any of us in any of the public places we gather. We want to know that our streets are safe, and we are afraid because we can’t prevent it.

But we can be afraid without living in terror.

Terror cripples us. It makes us look over our shoulders a little more. It makes us trust our friends and neighbors less. It makes us suspicious of those who aren’t just like us. It divides us.

As a country, we overcome fear by resuming our normal lives. We give all the help and comfort to anyone who needs it. We give them space to grieve when they need that. But most importantly, we shine our lights to show them they don’t have to live in fear.

Fear cannot win.