Whenever a bomb destructs people’s lives, we hear about it on the news and read about it in the newspaper.

We see the gruesome pictures of someone else’s pain and horror, and we are shocked by all of it.

But we never fathom the possibility that a bomb or another sort of random terrorism could affect our lives.

But each day, there are people on this earth who live to terrorize.

Probably the most vivid and recent picture of terrorism in America is the Oklahoma City bombing for which Timothy McVeigh was sentenced.

In addition to the families who were directly affected by the bomb, the explosion struck the hearts and minds of many Americans who questioned the security of their everyday lives.

Now we are learning more about separatist groups and private militias who seek to impose their beliefs on society.

We recall the siege at Waco and McVeigh’s anger of the siege.

We realize militias are popping up all over America. We know the Ku Klux Klan’s history of terrorism in the South.

But these type of groups are international, too. There is the separatist Irish Republican Army (IRA) from Ireland and the ETA from northern Spain.

The Middle East is home to several more terrorist groups. Even in a world that is fighting to keep peace by trying to prevent war, separatist groups continue to impose their will by violence. This is frightening and sad.

The IRA is a group who wants Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, to reunite with the Republic of Ireland.

For several hundred years, a minority of Catholics have fought against the Church of England’s imposition of Protestantism.

The IRA has a political wing, called the Sinn Fein, but the group is best known for its bombing rages across the UK.

The IRA bombed the Baltic Exchange in London. In July, they shot a Northern Ireland policeman — point blank in the back of the head. They say their mission is to end suppression and suffering of Northern Ireland’s Catholics.

They cite “Bloody Sunday” as an example of British terrorism. In January 1972, British soldiers opened fire on unarmed, peaceful demonstrators. Thirteen were killed and the soldiers were found not guilty of killing civilians in cold blood. Many want the case to be reopened for further investigation.

Northern Ireland is also has anti-IRA paramilitary groups. According to Associated Press reports, a sleeping Catholic woman was killed in retaliation to alleged IRA killings of three Protestant teenagers who were rioting in Belfast. It seems as if there is no peace.

No matter what wrong the other side has done, these violence-focused groups fail to recognize they are condemning the same behavior in which they are practicing.

In northern Spain, the ETA, another separatist group, is fighting for independence of their province from the Spanish government.

They’ve kidnapped hundreds of people, but the most recent horror was the murder of a local politician because the Spanish government refused to relocate certain political prisoners (who happen to be ETA supporters).

The ETA gave Spain a deadline for relocation and acted in violence when Spain refused.

After the murder of the politician, much of the Spanish population erupted with anger towards the separatist group, saying they’re fed up.

Considering the length of the terror separatist groups impose on society, it is baffling that they think problems can be solved by violence.

It seems impossible for these people to legitimately consider peace and to put their preferences and beliefs aside.

Obviously, nothing has been solved, and peace hasn’t resulted from the violence. Innocent people from both sides die and the movement continues.

Each side stops to mourn the death of its own and revels in deaths for which they are responsible. It is ridiculous.

Although we would like to imagine the world as a peaceful place, it isn’t necessarily so. And most of this can be attributed to ignorance, selfishness and hate.

The world doesn’t have to love everybody and everything. People just need to learn to respect others’ lives, beliefs and cultures.

Erin Payne is a senior in journalism and mass communication and political science from Rock Rapids.