to Gabriel

Submitted by Sidda (United States), Feb 19, 2006 at 13:33

Thank you for pointing out what should have been obvious to me. Of course, Europe is closer to the "action" than the U.S. After 9/11, though, we learned that the oceans no longer provide the protection that we thought they did. It was a real psychological jolt; I don't know if you can really understand the psychological impact of that day unless you lived here then.

Just today I saw on the news where Iran is taking applications from young people to attend a "school" that will teach them how to become martyrs (suicide bombers). They are saying that if we try any strikes against their nuclear facilities, these suicide bombers will be sent out to the U.S. and Europe. Then I immediately thought of what you had said. Of course, wouldn't it be easier to get to Europe to cause death and destruction than to the U.S?

I don't know what to say except that sometimes you have to decide what you are willing to live with, if you are willing to take a chance and possibly lose your freedoms to people who believe in a totalitarian ideology. We might not be at that point yet, but it could come to that if radical Islamists obtain nukes. In America we generally will make extreme sacrifices to hold on to our freedom. We have done so in the past and I think we will in the future.

Patrick Henry (a famous American revolutionary war hero) said, "Give me liberty or give me death." But I know it is easy to say and not easy to actually do!

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