9/11 Redux

There are some in this country who believe that another terrorist attack on America would be a good thing. I am not sure if these thoughts are a sick joke or the ramblings of an insane asylum escapee. The very thought that only through violence and bloodshed Americans could be brought together sickens me to my core.

If we are fighting a global war on terror as the Bush administration, the GOP, and many democrats have said, then wouldn't anyone conspiring to commit an act similar to 9/11 be our enemies. In fact, it may even be treasonous to suggest such an act.

I do not see these people, who claim such acts of terror would be good for our country, serving up their families for these sacrifices. These are the same people who have supported the Iraq war from the start, but have no family member serving in the armed services. They know nothing of sacrifice and are cowards, shielding themselves from reality with sick fantasies of bloodshed and mayhem of their fellow man so that they may feel righteous somehow.

It disturbs me even further that people like this are my neighbors, fellow Americans, that I would sacrifice for and help in a time of need. Through peace we can accomplish so much more than through violence. But, these people are violent religious extremists that are not unlike those who attacked us on 9/11. Hell, they want it to happen again.

My fellow Americans, if you are not sickened by the words of these people, then perhaps it is you that is the enemy of this country. Serve up your offering of flesh to be sacrificed in the bloodshed you have proposed. Serve up your children, your wives, your mothers and fathers. For we will gladly destroy you for the good of this country if that is what you want. Perhaps once you are gone America will unite together as they did after 9/11, but only because we removed the cancerous tumor of America that is you.

I Don't Care if Islam is a Religion of Peace or Violence

Islam is a religion. Being an atheist I am prone to not liking Islam, or any theistic belief system. This, however, does not mean that I dislike the people behind Islam. I hear all the time that Islam is either a religion of peace (they say that), or a religion of violence (the Republican right says that). But I don't care, in the end they are just people like you and me.

Fighting an ideology with brute strength will rarely work. If Islam is a violent religion, then bombs and gunfire will not destroy it, that will only inflame their violence. What will work is fighting hostile ideologies with peaceful ones.

If you find a hungry man with a gun would you break a loaf of bread with him or eat it all in front of his face? What people often forget is that peaceful acts often trump violent ones.

Nothing good could possibly come out of fighting a war of ideologies. It didn't work in the Cold War and it would work even worse with modern religious beliefs.

God or no God, peace or no peace, we should break bread with our neighbors. Our Islamic neighbors are no different and are people all the same. We should extend peace to them and not try to force our ideals on them. For these reasons, our foreign policy should be one of peace towards all people, not of war.