Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 14:15:45 -0400 From: Jerry Miller Subject: Terrorism vs. sabotage A colleague asked a good question today, one that I thought I knew the answer to but now am not so sure. In connection with the derailing of the Sunset Limited this week, an Amtrak official apparently said they were trying to determine if it was an act of "terrorism or sabotage." My colleague logically asked what the difference is between the two. After launching into my usual explanation of the origin of the word "sabotage"--the wooden shoe (sabot) into the gears of the machinery, ad nauseum--I quickly discovered I wasn't sure about the fine line between the two. My basic assumption was that sabotage came from within an organization or unit and terrorism from without. Am I oversimplifying that? We'd appreciate any comments/clarifications. Jerry Miller Pulliam School of Journalism Franklin College (Ind.)