THE US NEEDS TO TAKE THE HIGHER ROAD!

Dear DR1 Message Board,

It is very difficult to express the grief I feel for my people, for my city. I am a native New Yorker, I work for Accenture, who had a presence in the WTC, and has people missing. I know people who are missing, and share in their family's grief.

Along with the rest of the country, I want Revenge! After my initial shock, I wanted something done to hurt whom ever did this. I wanted the Arm Forces to Go and bomb people left and right... But that would be a reaction that would have severe consequences. WAR would NOT be the PRUDENT thing to do. By adopting a strong military retaliation, we would be stepping into a situation that would be setting the world up for an Apocalyptic Era.

Let me ask you something, if a student calls his teacher "Stupid!" What is the best thing that the Teacher can do? For Starters, the teacher can react by punishing the Student, so that the student will never think about doing that again... On the other hand, the teacher can engage the student in a dialogue to find out why the student did what he did. The latter approach, by far, is the more beneficial b/c it gets to the route of the student's problem. It engages the student to think, reflect, and to learn how to deal with strong feelings in ways that are not violent or hurtful. By punishing the student without engaging him in a conversation, the teacher would be reacting to the Student's childishness in a negative way, showing the student that the way to deal with a problem is to be more powerful than your adversary. Similarly, the teacher would not be getting any closer to determining why the Student acted the way he did. Maybe the reason why the student lashed out was because he is being teased, bullied, can't understand the class work, has problems at home, et cetera. But by punishing the student, the teacher would not be getting any closer to the issue.

What does this mean for the US right now? Let's say the US goes in and bombs Afghanistan and Manages to Get Usama Bin Laden, what would that accomplish? would it guarantee that the terrorist attacks would end? No. Would it Deal with the issues that led to the terrorists attacks? No. It would be setting the stage for the next Bin Laden. It's time to stop the US's tic for tac mentality. Why not take the Higher road and engage our foes in a dialogue, instead of adopting a reactionary WAR which would lead in the lost of lives and money, and accomplish very little. If anything, a WAR against terrorism should not be fought with Guns and planes, it should be fought with patience and common sense.

Listen, the people who did this are not stupid. They are hoping that the US will react instead of engage the suspected terrorists (nations). They are hoping that the US’s actions will lead to an erosion of support for moderate Muslim governments in the middle east help radicals take control of moderate Muslim countries. Bin Laden sees himself as a Salidin. He sees the US’s presence in the middle east as an extension of the crusade. By acting as the aggressors we’ll be playing into his hand, and help the extremist gain power in the middle east.

Cooler heads must prevail. A military WAR against terrorism will only help accomplish the terrorists’ goals. Let’s not play into their hands. Let’s take the higher road and deal with the situation by a diplomatic front, not a military one.

Yours truly,
Eddie Gonzalez

How many times do we have to try and reason with unreasonable factions? At heart I am a pacifist and believe that generally things can be worked out. How do you deal with a group that is so over zealous that they would strap a bomb on themselves to get revenge for their higher power? Thats what we are dealing with is people that have no respect for their own lives, the lives of their countrymen, families and certainly not for people with beliefs that do not parallel theirs.

How can you reason with somebody that could ever think of doing what they have done? Ask an American or Canadian to stick a bomb up his ass and detonate it at the mall some sunny afternoon in the name of peace and honor. Yeah right, that'll go over like passing gas in a space suit.

I certainly respect your view but frankly I do not see that as an option.

Thanks,

Phil & Jill (from NY)

The Talibad regime has told its people to prepare for Jihad. Allah will be on their side. On this side of the Atlantic we must confront the political reality.

The politics of the situation virtually assure that the USA will exact a terrible vengeance on Afghanistan. Hardly any American has close Afghani friends, and Osama Bin Laden is an easily identifiable focus for hatred. The polls say that 62% of Americans don't mind if innocent people get killed in the hunt for terrorists.

George Bush can assure his reelection by kicking ass over there. He knows this and his advisors know this. They probably won't find a smoking gun, but he must act quickly while Amercians are bloodthirsty for revenge. More than a couple of weeks delay will cause the polls to change as people cool off.

The predictable result is that in the name of God, Christ, America and all things decent, many innocent Afghanis who have nothing to do with this will soon die. Even Billy Graham has given his OK. This multi millionaire evangalist has said that God understands America's anger. Obviously he gets his e-mails from above.

Whether attacking Afghanistan is going to accomplish anything or not is a moot point. It is the politically opportunistic thing to do and justifiable, so it will be done.

Christianity is a religion of forgiveness. In world war II chaplains for the Americans, British, French, Germans and Italians sent their soldiers into battle and assured them that God was on their side. Onward Christian soldiers. Obviously no one wants to practice Christian or muslim priciples, only use empty words to further their cause.

Hard to believe that in the 21st century we are on the threshold of a holy war. May sanity save us all.

Should we offer them a few hundred inbred camels in exchange for peace?

Or maybe send some bell ringers over to collect money for new wrapping towels.

Maybe we should just ask them to forgive us for our beliefs and then they will, of course, quit being terrorists.

I think it is also a shame that innocent people may die. The problem is those people may put those innocent people in the way of harm to protect their own miserable asses and say they did that sacrifice in the name of Allah........they have no respect for life.

P&J

Yes, we hear "we want revenge!" a response echoed by the very nature of our humanity. As most people, that has been my own, immediate angry response. But now I realize that I cannot "give the terrorists what they WANT" (military, physical retaliation by outright murder)and the killing of more innocent people. I don't want to lower myself to the enemy's inhuman mentality. I believe more and more people will want to "think again" and "think ahead" about the worse consequences

Well said......

If we took this approach with Japan and Germany in the 40's where would we be now....

I wish I had a better solution than more bloodshed and grief.

Like Uncle Sam Said....What side are you on? I can see very clearly that Osama Bin Laden has reached this board and has agents everywhere. No wonder Colin Powell said..the enemy is everywhere, the enemy is here in America...I say..it is here in DR too.