From: Jasper
Date: 9/24/01
Time: 3:39:08 PM
Kari,
War IS a can of worms. There are going to be mistakes. Innocent people are going to be killed. These are just a few of the reasons that reasonable people do everything in their power to avoid war. But no one is arguing whether war is good or bad (what sane person would?). The argument is whether or not we are already in a war and therefore HAVE TO fight back or perish. We (the civilized world) has already been struck again and again with the loss of millions of lives over the past two decades because the "voice of reason" you want us to listen to know is the one we've been listening to for all of those years.
That voice is also the one that the Sep. 11 attackers have been listening to and the reason they attacked us. They are not reasonable people and they simply don't care how many innocent people get killed as long as they think they can get what they want by killing enough us and creating enough uncertainty about the future to make us think twice about taking them on.
The next time you think about whether it is wise to fight back or to step back and let the terrorist have their way, I hope you'll remember that the plane that hit the Pentagon was supposed to hit the White House - and would have if had presented an easier target to hit. I hope you will remember that the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was undoubtedly headed for another target in Washington. Have you thought about what would have happened if some of the passengers hadn't fought back? Do you think for one minute that they didn't know full well that their actions would cost the lives of innocent people - including their own? I think about it all the time.
Kari, you know I love you, but please don't try to tell me how terrible war is. I know. --Jasper