Distinction

Submitted by John R (United States), Aug 12, 2006 at 00:52

I'd appreciate a little more explanation, and if possible, a reference so that I might follow up on it.

Why do you need references Tom? What we say are news to you?

Very few of the responses here were relevant to my suggestion,

I think you just want to hear what you believe and not take in facts that contradict or can change what you believe, hence you are saying that.

and to me, it's saddening to hear so much conviction about how evil and violent Islam followers are.

Tom, as intelligent human beings, we cannot deny the phenomenom of most terrorists being Muslims and Muslims all over the world commiting violence in the name of Allah.

I believe it would take an enormous change of heart in most of the posters here to turn from their conviction that more war is the solution to war,

Tom, please do not tell me you are opposed to any war. There are people living peacefully, minding their own business but getting attacked and as such they have no choice but to fight back.

Back in the days when Jews and Arabs live in Palestine, you had Jews living peacefully when they were suddenly attacked by barbarians who only want their own state. Imagine people living peacefully, serenely, calmly, playing with their kids, in villages, worshipping God (if that matters) Day in and day out work and go home with their families afterwards, then suddenly a horde of barbarians starting to make an effort to slaughter them. How do you expect these people to respond? Just do nothing and have themselves and their families exterminated? Of course they would be drawn to war. What you have to grasp is that there is a distinction between those who initiate violence, war as opposed to those who simply react to protect themselves. The victims of course are drawn to war, there is no alternative, they cannot just sit there and have their families and themselves eradicated.

Can you visualize Tom, if a group of barbarians invade your home and try to kill you and your family, what would you do? Not go to war with them and just stand pat and have them kill you and you family because you oppose violence against violence? Imagine too a group of barbarians --- terrorists in our days --- yearn for, threatening to burn your house down thus killing you and your family, how do you expect to respond? You'd be doing the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family, your home. This is accurately what has been happening with Israel. Muslims want them eradicated, therefore Israel takes the necessary steps to stop it.

and instead turn towards a fair and honest approach that heeds, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," as spoken by a wise Jew a long time ago.

You know Tom, it just mesmerizes me why you are saying these things to the US and Israel and calling them arrogant. We're not doing anything! We're getting attacked and threatened. You should be saying these things to the Arabs, the Muslims. If you are opposed to violence or war then why are you supporting the Palestinians or Muslims who not only are engaged in war themselves but inititated them.

I grieve very much that Hitler was able to convince such a large number of people that war would bring good things, things that they, above all others, deserve, that there are whole populations of "others" so evil they deserve to die and that there's no other solution but to kill.

You should be addressing these to the Arab world, not the Western World. They're trying to kill us because they see us as evil. We're just reacting.

I don't think times have changed very much.

Have you told the Arabs not to kill or are you just telling the US and Israel not to kill? Nazis were exterminating Jews in World War 1 and 2 and based on your logic, we should not go to war with the Nazis but negotiate with them? To not stop them in their goal of killing people? It's just common sense, just look at everyday life, when a criminal is trying to murder people we try to stop them, and those who they try to kill would of course defend themselves and not do anything.

There are people in life Tom who no matter what you do or say would not negotiate with you but want to kill you, thus you have no choice but to defend yourself and stop it.

John R

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