Tired of being blamed...
I know most political arguments really boil down to the Left asking, "why" and the Right responding, "because that is the way it is (or should be)." As any father or mother of a young child will tell you, the "why" question gets increasingly annoying and increasingly difficult to answer the more it is asked, but that doesn't make it invalid or unimportant.Yet after the most recent terrorist attacks, people have been asking "why" and trying to provide answers. The response to these questions among social conservatives is to villify those asking the questions. I'm just tired of being blamed.
If someone is blowing themselves and others up, there is clearly a need for reconciliation in the world. If by asking the "why" questions: why do they do such things? why are they so committed to violence? why us? society is able to generate answers that can lead to reconciliation without bloodshed, this seems to be a noble and worthy calling. It is not true as Kevin McCullough says, "[The Left] can not be trusted with national security because they have no sense of the difference between good and evil."
We know the difference between good and evil. Never more clearly then days that involve bodybags. We also know that evil has both manifestations and root causes. We can (and most certainly will) fight the manifestations of evil in our world. Democrats didn't have a problem standing up to fight the war in Afghanistan. Democrats don't have a problem buying loose nukes from Russia. Democrats don't have a problem with increasing security on our borders, ports and transit networks.
Yet, we can fight manifestations of evil for generations without ever making any headway. Must we assume that the fight against terrorism ALWAYS requires a sledge hammer reply? Isn't it possible that we have more tools in our toolbox to apply against the very varied and complex issue of terrorism? Could we not just need a small chisel to dig out certain parts or maybe a plane to smooth the rough edges? We must understand and solve the root causes as well or we will never have any reconciliation or peace in our world.
The other option is this:
"The only moral way to deal with those who planned and executed the attack in London this week, the attack in Madrid, the attack in Bali, and the multiple attacks on Americans on 9-11 is simple: Track them down. Kill as many of them as we can in the field of battle. Those we capture put on trial. Those who are found guilty, put to death.
I don't really care to understand "why" a crazed jihadist wishes to take the lives of thousands of innocent people. I just want him stopped."
I want him stopped too! As do all Americans - left, right and center. But I've always been told that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Sometimes we must go straight to the pound of cure, but don't blame me because I'd rather have an ounce of prevention!
posted by Expat Teacher @ 5:10 AM
