Wow...awesome that you are able to feel that way about it. So sorry that happened to you, though....that's just awful. But you're right...I feel sorry for people that live their lives wallowing in hate, as well. Creates its own hell.
Islamist freak show. Some of the posters from this thread would fit right in with their views. Those hate preachers should be prosecuted if their instigation of hate directly leads to violence. I have seen similar displays of hate and intolerance first-hand in Europe.
Thats pretty crazy stuff, glad you were able to take higher road and not try and retaliate. I can't imagine how I would react, but fighting them wouldnt be the answer either. I am very proud of who I am and do not hide it. I do wish there would be a peaceful solution to the conflict, but how can that be possible when there is so much hate on both sides? It really is sad the more I think about it, and do not think if/when I have kids they will be able to go to Israel. I also cant imagine being on the palestenian side and being forced to live among Hamas, its a bad situation for everyone.
I applaud you for this. I know you are a very intelligent guy. I apologize if I have unfairly lumped you in with some of the other posters.
Thank you, no need to be sorry though... I walked away because I have a good jewish mother and about 7 years of martial arts training, so I'm programmed to only fight when attacked. The overall experience made me tougher and smarter. Our arab, black, gay, indian, etc. brothers have all experienced the same crap here (arabs especially after 9/11). I do feel for anybody that has experienced hate first hand. We are all unique and don't deserve it. I only discriminate against idiots Why can't we beat up idiots in parking lots for being idiots?!
I have to say, I really support Israel here. Hamas broke a cease fire and launched an attack against a soverign nation....and Israel has withdrawn from Gaza. Israel has to right to respond in a way to eliminate Hamas as a threat. I don't see why people aren't condemning Hamas for continuing to fire rockets into Israel. Frankly, I think Israel should be able to continue if they so choose until Hamas surrenders or recognizes Israel's right to exist. If terrorism is always met with massive response, maybe terrorists will think twice before acting.
I'm afraid there can't be peace until Hamas recognizes Israel's existence and we can convince the ultra-orthodox looney toons that West Bank settlement expansion is a bad thing for all jews. Here is something I read earlier on Haaretz: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052871.html A Jew's prayer for the children of Gaza By Bradley Burston Tags: Israel News, Gaza, IDF If there has ever been a time for prayer, this is that time. If there has ever been a place forsaken, Gaza is that place. Lord who is the creator of all children, hear our prayer this accursed day. God whom we call Blessed, turn your face to these, the children of Gaza, that they may know your blessings, and your shelter, that they may know light and warmth, where there is now only blackness and smoke, and a cold which cuts and clenches the skin. Almighty who makes exceptions, which we call miracles, make an exception of the children of Gaza. Shield them from us and from their own. Spare them. Heal them. Let them stand in safety. Deliver them from hunger and horror and fury and grief. Deliver them from us, and from their own. Restore to them their stolen childhoods, their birthright, which is a taste of heaven. Remind us, O Lord, of the child Ishmael, who is the father of all the children of Gaza. How the child Ishmael was without water and left for dead in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba, so robbed of all hope, that his own mother could not bear to watch his life drain away. Be that Lord, the God of our kinsman Ishmael, who heard his cry and sent His angel to comfort his mother Hagar. Be that Lord, who was with Ishmael that day, and all the days after. Be that God, the All-Merciful, who opened Hagar's eyes that day, and showed her the well of water, that she could give the boy Ishmael to drink, and save his life. Allah, whose name we call Elohim, who gives life, who knows the value and the fragility of every life, send these children your angels. Save them, the children of this place, Gaza the most beautiful, and Gaza the damned. In this day, when the trepidation and rage and mourning that is called war, seizes our hearts and patches them in scars, we call to you, the Lord whose name is Peace: Bless these children, and keep them from harm. Turn Your face toward them, O Lord. Show them, as if for the first time, light and kindness, and overwhelming graciousness. Look up at them, O Lord. Let them see your face. And, as if for the first time, grant them peace. --------------------------------------------------- I will pray for the palestinian children... If only Hamas would do the same.
That video sickens me and makes me ashamed to be a Palestinian. But I just hope you don't lump all of us together as racist, radical Islamic extremists. Many even in the West Bank and Gaza would be sickened by these out of touch fools. There are many moderate, educated and reasonable Palestinians in the world.
Originally Posted by Sacudido The extremist factions of Islam need to be wiped out. Completely. Everyone who believes the viewpoints of the Taliban, or Hamas, or (insert extremist militant Islamic group here) needs to either renounce it, or be wiped out. Agreed. Not a very thoughtful post or response. What if I said: The extremist factions of Zionism or JUdaism need to be wiped out. Completely. Everyone who believes the viewpoints of the ..., or (insert extremist militant Zionist or Jewish group here) needs to either renounce it, or be wiped out. It is ridculous to say statements like that about good sized political groups, who are mad up of indivduals with varying goals, level of commitment and understanding of what the group is even about. "wiped out completely!!!! Yeah let's just wipe out completely a couple of million Taliban or hundreds of thousands perhaps of Hamas members or supporters if they don't recant. Let's applaud this statement at the same time we talk about how moderate we all are. and applaud each other for our thoughtfulness.
Sadly, the few extremists are hiding amongst the many moderates. That makes the entire problem exponentially worse.
stupidity comes in all forms....and really, that's what these people are, just stupid people. Their whole aim is to inflict emotional pain upon you. They seek out this because they themselves are inadeque...and ill in a way. I learned the hard way to stay away from negative people. You did the right thing though. But I probably would have called them out on their stupidity....as unwise as it would be. I remember tutoring in a high school and this kid came up to me and started calling me osama bin laden. And I turned to him and just said, "You are either stupid or a racist - which one is it? Which one?" And he was so stunned he just sulked away....and then found me a few days later to apologize. Another time some guy asked for directions to a 7/11 and asked if i knew the owner...and i just said the same thing, "are you stupid or are you a racist?" And his friends laughed and he stood there with a blank expression - i just walked off. A few years back - and this would be the last time someone said anything racist to me (being a big guy usually people do it from a distance anyway)...I was outside my apartment late at night and a drunk guy started peeing on the building so I said, "Hey - this isn't a urinal a-hole", to which he replied, "Go back to pakistan or wherever you are from" and i just said, "go back to jersey or whereever you are from" and he got so freaking mad. My point is...always remember these kinds of people are stupid. And if you call them out on it, usually you can take the negative nastiness they are putting on you and throw it back upon them in a way that makes them take pause. I know it sounds cheesy and like b.s., but really, when you respond strongly, calmly, and yet forcefully, it really will throw these a-holes off. They aren't use to seeing real strength. They fear it. They want to hurt you instead. Anyway, reading what you wrote makes me angry. Nothing pisses me off more than this kind of talk. The woman in that video calling to nuke israel, people who say palestinians are pigs, etc etc etc....they are all stupid people and let's all agree not to let stupid people take us down. I mean, that's the difference between being an evolved human being is and being someone who still lives in caves out in the middle of afganistan. Because that's the truth, anyone who acts like this is really still living in a cave.
OK...if you don't want to get rid of the most violent known terror organizations, what behavior would be bad enough in your view to justify significant retaliation?
Glynch always found ways to justify suicide bombings... I'm afraid there is no action that would justify significant retaliation in his eyes.
"Significant retaliation" is different from "wiping out completely", which I intepret as killing most if not all of them all. The Taliban is made up mostly of probalby a couple of million ordinary Afghans who are tribal and have converted to an unfortunate screwed up brand of Islam IMHO. Many of these folks are just fighting for their tribe or against foreigners the Americans. They are not responsible for 9/11 or any acts of terrorism. They do not deserve to be exterminated. I suspect the same is true with many Hamas members who understandably are fighting to regain their lands from which their parents or grand parents were driven off. Again understandable. Regarding Hamas to the extent they are terrorists, and some of them are, just like some of the Jews are terrorists, the best way to undercut them is for Israel to back to the pre 1967 borders. I have seen the alledgedly best poll of Palestinian opinion showing that 72% of the Palestinians would support that and we are already have the agreement of all the Arab states to accept this. Even the militant leaders of Hamas are close to accepting that as ultiamately they need the support of most Palestinians, which they demonstrated by winning what every one acknowleges was a clean election.
Give me a break. I have not. Why not accuse me of being an anti-semite while you are at it. Defenders of Israel usually do that at the drop of a hat. Do I think that some poor unfortunate driven to suicide bombing that he thinks is ncecessary to defend his homeland is per se necessarily worse than deliveriing bombs by airplanes on behalf of other folks misguidedly thinking they are defending their homeland as we have seen with the US in Irag or as we see frequently by Israel? No.
thats funny since the only advocation of mass killing i saw was you and thacabbage and SJC and sacudido advocating killing of all people that have extremist viewpoints. not people who have committed any extremist actions, but simply HAVE viewpoints that are deemed extremist. apparently everyone who was left of center during hte cold war was fair game to death. and yes that is like the nazis.
You may be right, but is that an actual fact? Robert Fisk disputes it in the article previously posted in this thread: [rquoter]And our leaders will huff and puff and remind the world that Hamas originally broke the ceasefire. It didn't. Israel broke it, first on 4 November when its bombardment killed six Palestinians in Gaza and again on 17 November when another bombardment killed four more Palestinians.[/rquoter]
I did not call you an anti-semite or even hint at it. I could care less if you are or aren't. I just said you found ways to justify suicide bombings which you continued to do with your 2nd paragraph. It is absolutely worse for a suicide bomber to be brainwashed by his own community to strap a bomb to himself, walk into a pizza parlor and blow himself up along with 40 innocent people than for a jet to drop a bomb on a known terrorist location or enemy combatant rocket firing zone (if you prefer to call this a war).
