I was inclined to at least consider your opinions until you wrote that. Did the colonists commit acts of barbarism on occasion? Sure. It always happens during war. But to equate the colonists and founders to terrorists in general (especially how we interpret the word today) is ridiculous and nothing more than a distortion of history. If anything the British army conducted far more "acts of terror" (probably more accurately described as war crimes) against the colonists than did the colonists against the British.
When was the last time a terror organization (as we commonly use the word) achieved their political goals and used their victory to:
- Produce a document as profound as the Declaration of Independence?
- Produce a system of gov't and laws that recognized equality of man and his natural rights?
- Develop a system of gov't that endures and has become the epitome of freedom around the world?
- Lay the groundwork for a country that people from around the world will literally die trying to reach?
- Occasional amended their system of gov't, laws and Constitution to recognize that there were flaws in the originals?
- Encouraged individual achievement in order to better the person rather than the state?
- Freed others from the oppressive, tyrannical governments under which they live in order to restore their freedom, not just enslave them under another tyrannical gov't, and asked nothing in return?
That's right. Never. I would argue that the further away our elected leaders of our federal gov't get from it's founding ideals the closer it's becoming to a tyrannical state, but in a general, overall sense it's not really there yet.
(I'm not arguing our federal gov't hasn't over-reached in it's power in the slightest. But we still don't live in a country run by a true tyrant in the sense of the tyrants we've seen in the past. Might not be too far away...but we're not there yet.)