have to wonder why cost of living is so high when the price of life is so cheap.
We cannot help but think about what happened Tuesday. Try and turn away, divert yourself for a few moments and you will return to our nation's tragedy. No one can detach from what amounts to what may turn out to be the most significant event in world history.
As Americans, we are fairly self-centered and have remained so in our coverage of the events. However, this is a worldwide issue and if a strike is carried out, it will result in a world war. A political assassination was all it took to start the first world war. We cannot foresee the next few weeks' events with what knowledge is available to the public. I do not think we are able to comprehend the ramafications of a new MidEast conflict with the current complexity of the situation. It is difficult to round up all the facts and piece together a forecast but I will go out on a limb and say that things look pretty grim, regardless of the color or creed of the culprit.
Yesterday, the UN began to pull out of Afghanistan, a sure sign of impending airstrikes. Secondly, NATO enacted Article 5 of their charter which melts down to an attack on one member of the alliance is an attack on the alliance in whole and any retaliation will be carried forth by each member of the alliance. That's 18 nations, I believe, surely the 18 most powerful nations in the world, allied. The amount of devastation due to the technological advances in weaponry will be unlike anything seen in history.
"An act of war," said Bush in his address. Grim words indeed.
America is a freedom loving nation, one built on compassion and tolerance. How can we be so quick to condemn this act with more bloodshed and violence? Is this the correct response? Certainly, the attacks are beyond reproach and cannot be tolerated or treated compassionately. Is more destruction really the answer? Gone unclaimed, can we know for sure who did this? Are we getting the right person? Bin Laden is a prime suspect and widely regarded as the world's most dangerous man, a title I won't deny him. Everything about him is sinister, down to his appearance. But even if he is responsible, can we hold his countrymen accountable via association? People around the world are not happy about this. Immigrants, many of middle-eastern descent, left their home countries to start a new, free life in America in order to feel safe, far away from the terror of their home. Do you really think they enjoy the fact that dastardly acts have globe-hopped with them? No one who calls himself American can be happy about this, but can we justify retaliation? Is this democracy? Is my voice heard?
We're all so quick to urge peace when the conflict lay thousands of miles away in a desert. What do we do when it hits home? We rave war and decimation of our enemies. Is this democracy?
Some forces breached fortress America from the inside; we thought ourselves safe between two oceans protected by four distinct military outfits. We cannot blame the intelligence community. Such restrictions have been placed on them unlike the fiction world of word and film where our heroes take the law into their own hands. We need to blow something up to feel adequate and competent, show our force and unwillingness to back down. But should we? Or should we exercise compassion instead like so many of our favorite pop artists and writers have exclaimed in the past?
It's all a very confusing issue and I won't take my stand until all the facts roll in. I will wait and see whether my voice is heard.
As Americans, we are fairly self-centered and have remained so in our coverage of the events. However, this is a worldwide issue and if a strike is carried out, it will result in a world war. A political assassination was all it took to start the first world war. We cannot foresee the next few weeks' events with what knowledge is available to the public. I do not think we are able to comprehend the ramafications of a new MidEast conflict with the current complexity of the situation. It is difficult to round up all the facts and piece together a forecast but I will go out on a limb and say that things look pretty grim, regardless of the color or creed of the culprit.
Yesterday, the UN began to pull out of Afghanistan, a sure sign of impending airstrikes. Secondly, NATO enacted Article 5 of their charter which melts down to an attack on one member of the alliance is an attack on the alliance in whole and any retaliation will be carried forth by each member of the alliance. That's 18 nations, I believe, surely the 18 most powerful nations in the world, allied. The amount of devastation due to the technological advances in weaponry will be unlike anything seen in history.
"An act of war," said Bush in his address. Grim words indeed.
America is a freedom loving nation, one built on compassion and tolerance. How can we be so quick to condemn this act with more bloodshed and violence? Is this the correct response? Certainly, the attacks are beyond reproach and cannot be tolerated or treated compassionately. Is more destruction really the answer? Gone unclaimed, can we know for sure who did this? Are we getting the right person? Bin Laden is a prime suspect and widely regarded as the world's most dangerous man, a title I won't deny him. Everything about him is sinister, down to his appearance. But even if he is responsible, can we hold his countrymen accountable via association? People around the world are not happy about this. Immigrants, many of middle-eastern descent, left their home countries to start a new, free life in America in order to feel safe, far away from the terror of their home. Do you really think they enjoy the fact that dastardly acts have globe-hopped with them? No one who calls himself American can be happy about this, but can we justify retaliation? Is this democracy? Is my voice heard?
We're all so quick to urge peace when the conflict lay thousands of miles away in a desert. What do we do when it hits home? We rave war and decimation of our enemies. Is this democracy?
Some forces breached fortress America from the inside; we thought ourselves safe between two oceans protected by four distinct military outfits. We cannot blame the intelligence community. Such restrictions have been placed on them unlike the fiction world of word and film where our heroes take the law into their own hands. We need to blow something up to feel adequate and competent, show our force and unwillingness to back down. But should we? Or should we exercise compassion instead like so many of our favorite pop artists and writers have exclaimed in the past?
It's all a very confusing issue and I won't take my stand until all the facts roll in. I will wait and see whether my voice is heard.