War or justice? (was SCN: Re: National Day of Mourning)

[Scot Harkins on scn.org]

I appreciate Doug's posting of Tamim Ansary's insightful writing.  I fear we
are being led down the road to some kind of "war" that will not truly
accomplish anything other than suffering and death.

We don't need a war.  We need to find the criminals and bring them to
justice.  I'd say the ultimate insult to them would be life in prison in the
US.  Not death.  That would make them martyrs to the next line of criminals.
We must treat them like the criminals they are and not elevate them to the
status of "enemy states".

I sincerely hope Americans are watching who has stood with us around the
world.  The people who now curse Muslims and Arabs should see the people in
Egypt and Iran and beyond who are shocked and angered at such a crime
committed in some twisted name of Islam.  Just as shocked as Americans were
of the "Christians" who last shook our world in Oklahoma City.

We must also take responsibility for our own actions abroad.  It will help
us understand why this is happening at all.  Michael Moore's website,
www.michaelmoore.com, has his own writing on the matter, and links to
others, giving a realistic and hard view of our own part in creating these
monsters.

I cannot say I'm so much angry at what these monsters have done.  I have
felt more sad than anything.  Sad that people become so twisted.  Sad that
they may be twisted in part because of our own actions abroad.  Not that we
are to blame for our own tragedy, but that we must see where we made it
possible.

Peace is not easy.  It is often much harder than war.  Maybe we'll have to
subdue someone using our military, but I just cannot see bombing them
senseless.

We can rob bin Laden of his dream.  He cannot hide forever.  We can uncover
his cells.  We can build the cooperation of nations, remove his options to
hide, trace down his friends and deal with them, and finally run him to a
corner.  A deliberate, forceful, persistent search.

I dunno.  I just pray we don't do the hot-blooded but foolish thing.


Scot

--
Scot Harkins (KA5KDU)
Greenbank, WA         | Native Texan firmly planted in Western Washington
scoth at bigfoot.com     | SCA: Ld. Scot MacFin, Barony of Madrone, An Tir
scoth at scn.org/msn.com | URL <http://www.bigfoot.com/~scoth>



* * * * * * * * * * * * * *  From the Listowner  * * * * * * * * * * * *
.	To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
majordomo at scn.org		In the body of the message, type:
unsubscribe scn
==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
* * * * * * *     http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/     * * * * * * *