What tragic news to wake up to. Immediately NPR was blaming America for the attack, no surprise there. Do they not realize that this only strengthens our resolve?
Let's take this a different direction though:
I have had it with the Live 8 thing. Most of these performers are pompous airheads with their complete entourage accompanying them to this event. Their staffs are comprised of a bunch of kiss-ups catering to their every whim. How dare these people stand on that stage or comment to the media that the American tax-payer needs to pay more taxes to help Africa. No one rants about this better than my buddy Tom.
Africa has a multitude of problems, it is not limited to what the performers of Live 8 claim it to be. My sister has spent time there on humanitarian missions to help orphaned children. AIDS and hepatitis are rampant and the children will most likely not make it to adulthood. Where she has been the only people living were the very old, and the very young. If you are between these ages, you cannot find work, you cannot receive health care, you cannot attempt to live any sort of a normal existence. It is assumed by the elderly that you're infected and will be dying shortly.
A large portion of the reason behind the poverty and famine in Africa is due to Islam. The terrorist movement of Islam has been an on going problem in Africa for many years. Far longer than our own 9/11 attack. Africans have been forced to leave their homelands, they have been forced to reside in areas where farming is impossible and they are unable to grow there own food. Additionally, when you are constantly on the move attempting to protect your family, the chances of setting up a homestead and prospering are next to impossible. Brutal dictators, Islamic terrorist, ethnic cleansing, droughts, marital/sexual/ritual beliefs, etc., have brought about the current state of Africa. It is a much more diverse problem than the celebrities would like for you to believe or perhaps are even capable of understanding themselves. Any amount of monetary donations or debt forgiveness would serve only as a Band-Aid.
What needs to happen in Africa? Get rid of the Islamic terrorist; that's a good first step. If you venture outside the MSM and research those who come here from Africa seeking asylum, they are Africans who are seeking to be protected from Islam. It is a much larger problem than many are aware of. What is the Bush administration doing? What is Tony Blaire doing? They are weeding out Islamic terrorists. The events in London today only validate the reason for the fight.
This is OUR battle, my generation, and the generations around my own. We must end this now. If we do not, then we will not have our democractic society. I would much rather fight this thing with every fiber of my being then take the cowardly way out such as the Spaniards did. They are not any safer because of their choice. The terrorist are people who are not rational, you cannot bargain with them and expect for them so remain faithful to their word.
It's a worthy battle, it's a necessary battle. I want my children and yours to grow up in a free society such as we did. It is our destiny, it is our legacy; let's rid the world of these terrorists.
Update: Nightfly has a moving opinion of today's events.
And it's official:
I'm moving to Mu.Nu. It's a reliable blog hoster. I'm getting a fresh start and it will be nice to have a cleaned up blog. It will be a few weeks before it's up and running and I will of course supply you with a link. Thanks for listening to my complaining.