Pain felt on both sides of the ocean today, 11 September 2004

A certain portion of the American citizenry and the Russian citizenry share something very common today.  Pain from the loss of loved ones at that hands of radicals misrepresenting Islam.
Terrorism is as old as mankind itself, but up through World War Two, it was always specific military targets – today, it is against civilians.  In the yesterday’s, a terrorist act was designed to disrupt the enemy – today, it is barbaric bloodletting. 

Those who do these acts claim revenge, and a holy cause.  And neither excuse is true. They kill for the simple joy of killing and not getting caught – whether through hit & run, or suicide, they cannot bring themselves to stand up in a fair fight.  And that spells cowards. 

My wife was reading an article this morning, apparently mainstream Islam is now condemning those who think it is noble to kill children.  I wish to expressly thank those Moslems who share in the belief that the radicals are people to be condemned.  You are a minority, but you are starting to wield a large voice. May Allah help you in spreading your message and that is Islam is not about hate and violence. 

It really doesn’t matter what country – be it Israel, Russia, America, or any other country, when radicals choose to end life it is wrong.  You prove nothing, and you yourself snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  Victory being the acknowledgment of the issues you want to address. Victory is working towards resolutions of the issues. 

Defeat is dishonor and a continuing war against you.  Defeat is when a whole people are judged by your actions.   

President Putin was actually thinking about withdrawing from Chechnya – you have changed his mind, I can tell you that.  Now, he has all of Russia behind him and this is not a good thing for you.  Russian troops can get rather hostile when they are angered. 

Bush was planning a war from the first day, but have you now given him cause to think this should be an all out war?  He’s leaning towards that, and the American people might step behind him. 

We need only to add the South Koreans – these people are dead serious and I remember them from back in the Viet Nam conflict.  They get nasty, real nasty.  Whole Viet Cong units fled when they found out South Koreans were in the area.   

There are hawks on both sides of the ocean, and if they prevail, the sands of your country will be turned into glass.  Normally, I am not a big supporter of war, but you are even getting on my nerves.  

Tell you what, you indicate the battle ground, notify President Putin and Bush where you want the fight to be, and let’s settle this once and for all.  You want to be a big name in town, that’s is how you do it.  Why don’t we make that battle ground Saudi Arabia – seeing as how a great number of the terrorists appear to come from there. 

Perhaps the American Second Amendment guys and the NRA would like to take this fight on  - they need to prove their worthiness of the word militia anyhow.   

Either way, stand up for a head on fight and prove you are not the cowards that you are and the cowards the world sees you as.