Forgiveness

RE: [spiers] Forgiveness



John --
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I would like to add
mine.
I opposed the war in Vietnam. I opposed the conflict in Grenada.
I opposed the Gulf War. I opposed our involvement in all the U.N. missions,
including Bosnia and Kosovo. Had I been old enough to understand it, I would
have opposed the Korean War as well. I would have opposed them all because, like
Thomas Jefferson and George Washington I believe we should not be involved in
foreign alliances and entanglements, and should only be willing to go to war and
sacrifice human lives when absolutely necessary to respond to an attack on our
own country.
For that reason I would have been all FOR the efforts in World
War II.
For the same reason I think our country is ready to
respond now, to this latest attack, in a way far more viscious, barbaric, and
devastating than the way my parent's generation responded to Pearl Harbor. At
least with Pearl Harbor, the Japanese had the courtesy to attack a military
base. An unprecendented attack on American civilians on American soil I think
will require (politically speaking) an unprecedented response. I do not believe
there will be any opposition to the war that is surely coming. I do not even
think that most of us will be interested in the surrender when it is offered or
begged for. It feels like the American public (myself included) is ready to wage
a war of total annihilation until there is nothing left to kill.
There are only four things bothering me:
1. This wouldn't have happened if our alleged "leaders" had
honored the clear and numerous written warnings of our founding fathers to stay
out of foreign alliances. What were we thinking when getting involved in the
middle east? Were lower gas prices worth all this? Were they worth all the death
and suffering and horror and poverty that is on its way? Why was meddling in
other people's conflicts so important to our pitiful "leaders"? Will any of them
ever have the guts to answer the orphans that were created yesterday, and the
orphans-to-be? Will most American citizens ever have enough courage to even ask
these questions? Or will they continue to insist that Americans have no
responsibility, no matter how many foreign conflicts (against countries that did
NOT attack us) they let their leaders drag them into? Will they continue to
cling to that tired old cliche, "My country, right or wrong"? I guess it's
easier than challenging authority...
2. Even after waging a war of annihilation against (Libya,
Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan... pick one or more), we will
almost certainly be no safer than we are today. Religious fanatics who believe
they ensure their position in heaven by dying in Jihad will not stop or slow
down, even when a few countries do go up in nuclear smoke. I guess all we can do
is make sure there are far fewer of them. But it only took 3 "men" with razor
blades, an ability to communicate, and some flying knowledge to slaughter 10,000
or so Americans. Can we kill the last 3 religious fanatics on the planet? Are we
going to demand laws requiring background checks and 3-day waiting periods
before allowing people to purchase box cutters?
3. If we lose the freedom to travel or need passports like in
the old Soviet Union to get from city to city, have they already won? If we are
getting ready to slaughter Arabic civilians, haven't we become just like them?
Have they already won?
4. Were Buddha, Krishna, and Jesus all wrong? Is forgiveness
impossible? I am deeply ashamed and disappointed in myself, because I do not
even want to forgive.
May God have mercy on all our souls. Allah akbar.
Love,
Rod

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