Message #36132

[kimmid]

Radaro is right.  Many many Palestinians live and work among the Israelies daily and there is not the palpable animosity that much of the world believes.  In fact, for all the violence we see on TV and hear in reports, much of the small state of Israel lives "normal" lives.  When I was in Israel a few years back, we never saw any violence; however, my husband and friends were quite distraught because they kept seeing reports of "massive bombing," etc.  It's true those things happen and happen more often than they should but they are not everywhere.  The reason we hear about them as opposed to what we hear from other countries is that Israel is a democracy and their reports are not all government controlled.

On the other hand, Iraq's reports are controlled so that their own people only get the "news" the leader's want them to have.  No wonder they haven't revolted on a large scale.  No wonder many of them believe that what the US wants to do is destroy them and their nation.  Blatently false, but they only know what they are told and do not have the ways we have of finding out things for themselves.

Now I'm not warmongering here, so please don't take it that way.  I have many friends and former youth group kids in the military and at risk in this effort.  However, if Saddam's power is removed now, some will say that President Bush is out for oil, to make a name for himself, whatever else they might say.  If we do nothing now, then when Saddam and/or other terrorists act further and kill more innocents, most will blame President Bush for not acting on the information we have now.  You can't have your cake and eat it, too, in this type of thing.  Evil is evil...let's call it what it is and deal with it now before it gets more out of control.   This is not an easy thing to do and, right or wrong in his other decisions, I applaud this President and his administration for putting on the pressure for this to be handled, by peaceful means or force.