I think what is really objectionable about making this into purely a hate crime is that you are effectively saying because it's a hate crime, it can't also be politically-motivated i.e. terrorism.

Much of the anger here is coming from this undeniable attempt to deflect what this really is. Like that other guy said, own it.

Hang on, it's perfectly possibly for hate crime to be terrorism. It's idiotic to suggest a hate crime cannot be terrorism.

Nothing in my comment suggests this isn't terrorism. Saying "it matters to the murderer" can be applied equally to an act of terrorism or to hate crime.

I guess I don't understand the distinction of a hate crime vs terrorism. I would think hate crimes are a subset of terrorism and not a lessor charge.

In theory, it's possible for hate crimes to not be terrorism. Kill someone because they are a certain color, but have no intent for any end goal beyond killing that one person.

In practice, that probably never happens. Hate crimes almost always coincide with the intent to terrorize the target population.

Practically they are, but in the US you aren't supposed to say it out loud.