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Fear is no excuseReader comment on item: How to End Terrorism: Submitted by Noah Wilk (United States), Dec 9, 2006 at 20:25 Pro-Israeli Democrat wrote: "Police protection or not, it doesn't matter when you step into the confines of your home. An extremist can still learn who you are, deliver a bomb, or shoot you in the middle of the street.' True, but look at what the Muslims did on Sept. 11th, 2001. Those thousands of people were not out demonstrating against the evils of Islam. They were minding their own business, going to work, doing their jobs. And the Muslims flew airplanes into their workplace and killed them by the thousands. Islam does not acknowledge the concept of "innocent bystanders". Unless of course Israel takes out a terrorist leader and some of his followers, then suddenly everyone is an innocent bystander. (rolling my eyes in disgust) So the fear factor is an invalid argument. Freedom is not free, freedom comes with a price tag. As Benjamin Franklin said: "Those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." You wrote: "A lot of Muslim moderates (and they surely DO exist and DO comprise a silent majority...I love debating and would gladly debate further) have probably learned from Theo van Gogh, who was shot by an Islamofascist jihadi. His only "crime" was criticizing the treatment of women in Islam. He wasn't killed in either Beirut or Damascus, but IN HOLLAND...IN WESTERN EUROPE!" I don't buy the argument. Not at all. If the majority of Muslims are supposedly moderate, then then can easily overwhelm the radical ones. Stop paying support money to Hamas. Stop housing Hezbollah terrorists in your basement. Stop sending your children to mosques that teach jihad, and stop praising terrorists as heroes. Stop naming your kids after Osama Bin Laden. If they insist on living in fear, then I have no sympathy for them. It simply tells me they're unworthy of freedom and deserve to be labeled enemy combatants since they support terror. "Now put yourself in those shoes. Wouldn't you be scared? I surely would." Fear is not an excuse. The moment you allow fear to prevent you from speaking freely, from speaking the truth, you've become a slave, a servant, a docile creature that does not deserve his freedom. I'd rather die free than live as a slave. Do I fear speaking the truth? No. I know there are risks involved, I do things to minimize the risk, and I march on. If your argument is that the so-called moderate Muslims cannot reform Islam because they're paralyzed by fear, then the only answer left is to wipe out Islam. If the source of the problem cannot correct itself, it must be corrected by someone else. People who wallow in fear, in servitude, who do not rise up, deserve what they get. Here are a few very good quotes from some very wise people, which I think apply: "He who does not punish evil commands it to be done." "It is not the evil itself which is horrifying about our times -- it is the way we not only tolerate evil, but have made a cult of positively worshipping weakness, depravity, rottenness and evil itself." - George Lincoln Rockwell "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they have resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress" -Frederick Douglas "If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your council, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our country men." You wrote: "As for the "liberals" you are speaking of, they do focus on all the wrong issues. Many don't recognize the gravity of the struggle we are in. However, it must be pointed out that many conservatives don't either. Many spend more time whining about abortion and stem cell research than crushing the threat of militant Islam. That does nothing to protect America." Agreed. And this is why I will only ever vote for the Constitution Party and no other. "Here's my reccommendation: let's end the stupid culture wars, unify, and protect America. Let's also gain oil independence." Agreed, although when it comes to culture wars, there are serious problems that must be addressed. People who want to live in America need to start being fiathful to America, must assimilate into American culture, must be willing to die for America. Those who live in America but put loyalties to foreign cultures/countries and evil cults are traitors and do not belong here. "Islam is a religion in need of the major reforms that Irshad Manji is calling for, as Christianity is still in need of minor reforms in order to preserve liberal democracy in the West" Others have covered in detail why this won't happen. Islam is rooted in arrogance and stubbornness and the so-called moderates will never step up to the plate and civilize it. They haven't for over 1,400 years. I don't see it happening any time in the future. Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments". << Previous Comment Next Comment >> Reader comments (745) on this item
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