Originally Posted by Code_Havoc

Like I said, it comes down a lot to personal believes and opinions and is a very fine line. I think tactics should also play a part in it. Many 'terrorists' hide from the person they are attacking. Where as a rebel, army or alone, is willing to get up into the other persons face to get the job done. When the 13 colonies rebelled, they openly told the British government to get their asses outta America. When they didn't, they brought out the guns and said 'get out, or we drive you'. Which is far drifferent from saying 'leave me alone or I'm going to go blow up a shopping mall'. Now nothing says the Founding Fathers would have done the same thing had they rebelled today, since in the 1700's it was pretty to blow up a bus.

And about rebel ships firing on British ships, if I remember correctly, and I could be wrong, they only fired on military ships.