Both Terrorists and Gangs target the citizens of a country, but the death-toll from gangs is higher than terrorists; especially if you include those who die from the prostitution and drug trades.

But based on your definition, should the government be able to assassinate Jeremiah Wright for incendiary anti-American rants?

Heard of the 1st amendment? No.

Gangs are not terrorists. They do not target a nation. They target themselves and occasionally commit crimes against citizens. 

NDAA isn't about stopping crime, it's about stopping terrorism. 

I don't see how an arbitrary distinction created by the government eliminates your rights to due process ...

Gangs are predatory organizations that target citizens for harm for profit, and terrorist groups are predatory organizations that target citizens for harm as a political statement, the only difference is something you openly defend as freedom of speech that is defended by the first ammendement.

Al Queda isn't a group that spouts bullshit. It acts against the United States of America, or aren't you aware of what happened on September 11th, 2001?

What further proof do you need? It's like you're obtuse to what is right in front of you.

What makes 9/11 an attack on "America" rather than an attack on thousands of citizens of the country?

...

I'm not going to continue this useless discussion because I will undoubtedly get banned for something I say. 

We're done here.

The road to hell is paved with intentions seen in dsgue3's post.  The thing is that you need to be able to confirm, in a court of law, that someone is a member or not.  What is going on now is problematic, because one is getting lax in regards to protecting the rights of U.S citizens.  The "war on terror" is being used to justify a lot of suspect things. 

In other words ... "Because I say so"

The distinction between the two is arbitrary, which is ultimately acceptable as long as you don't start eliminating people's rights based on the distinction.

So, can you tell people what the difference is between terrorists who do acts of terror and gang members who terrorize neighborhoods?  Is it that one group is probably Muslim and another isn't?

@dsgrue If you were declared as a terrorist, but you were in fact innocent, how would you maintain your innocence without due process? The issue isn't that it happened, but what it means to give congress and the president such power over citizens with only a manipulation of arbitrary terminology to determine those entitled to due process and those who are not entitled.

"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." - Thomas Paine