"NOYB" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I can empathize with Mr. ex-Navy. There's no reasoning with people like
Ms.
Kneisler because they lack logic and reason. It's like trying to debate
with a 2 year old. However, you don't get angry with the two year old,
because he/she doesn't know any better. A grown woman like Ms. Kneisler
should know better...and that's where the frustration sets in.

She probably does, but it is all politics......11,000 deaths, as she cites,
would equal between 88 and 158 days of deaths of innocents that Hussein
averaged. (depnding on whois doing the count) In reality, the US, in the
last year, has saved up to 35,000 in the last year








"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Published on Friday, May 28, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
I Have Met the Enemy ...
by Patricia Kneisler

For the first time ever in my life, I had someone threaten to kill me
tonight. He was nearly apoplectic with rage, screaming curses, his
finger
right in my face, his eyes slits of venom. Ex-Navy lifer, I gathered.
Probably in his late 50's. Beer belly. A person so devoid of humanity I
was
stunned.

Good lord, you might ask. What on earth did you, a 52 year old
professional
woman, do to provoke that?

All I did was exercise my duty as a very concerned citizen in what I
thought
was America. I stood silently out on the sidewalk in my California town
with
a sign in each hand. One sign showed a tally of the number of Iraqi
civilian
dead from the Iraq Body Count website . the other the number of
coalition
soldiers dead to date. This is my regular Thursday night gig, something
I've
done every week for 14 months now.

In fact, it was early in the vigil . so early that my retired friend Tom
and
I were the only ones there. That's when the car whipped over to the curb
directly in front of us and Mr. Ex-Navy got out and came around to
confront
us.

"I want to tell you both something," he began belligerently .

To which Tom replied smoothly, "Oh, good . please do."

"I served in the Navy for 27 years. Served in Viet Nam. And it's
f**cking
jerks like you who got a lot of good men KILLED over there!"

And that was just the warm up. He had plenty more where that came from.

Mind you, I'd heard of people like this . fellow Americans who firmly
believe things that reasonable, charitable and empathetic people simply
could not with any sense of decency believe. But in my sheltered
existence,
I had never actually met one face to face, much less been on the
receiving
end of one's wrath.

Well, I thought . I have my talking points ready. I know my arguments.
We'll
just address one issue at a time here.

That's when I heard him thunder that old bromide, "Three thousand people
died in the World Trade Center!!"

Aha . I knew what to say to that. I showed him the sign with the dead
Iraqi
civilians on it . those 11,000 some odd souls who have died because we
invaded their country. "But these people had nothing whatsoever to do
with
the World . "

He made a dismissive gesture and said, "So what."

"Huh? We're talking 11,000 human beings here ."

"You don't get it, do you? You people really don't get it. These -
people -
are - MUSLIMS!"

"So?"

"They are MUSLIMS! They want to kill us all. If they were over here now
they
'd slit your throat and RAPE you!"

"Bull****," I said through tightening lips.

"MUSLIMS are the ENEMY," he spit.

"Bull****," I said again.

It went on. More of the same . a spewing forth of such ignorance and
delusion as I have ever heard. People like Tom and I were ruining this
country with our protest . ruining it. We were worse than filth. We
ought
to
be locked up.

The man took enough of a breath for Tom to get a word in edgewise. "What
about the Constitution?"

"**** the constitution! I WILL NOT LET YOU PEOPLE DESTROY MY COUNTRY! I
WILL
NOT LET YOU!"

"No," I replied. "It is us who will not let YOU destroy our country.
We -
will - not - let - you." Well, OK, I called him an asshole, too. Tom is
my
witness. I thought of those 11,000 innocent dead Iraqis and I called him
an
asshole.

As he finally stormed back around to the driver's side of his car, a
shouting match ensued (not on Tom's part . I'm afraid he was the only
adult
in the group). And then came the parting shot:

"Bush will win in a LANDSLIDE. And if he doesn't, WE know where to find
you.
WE can take care of you. WE can make sure you don't EVER **** with this
country again."

Yes, people say that to one another these days in . where was it that I
thought I lived? America? The land of Thomas Jefferson? Of mom and apple
pie? Of noble, lofty principles? Of goodness, sweetness and light?

That's when I thought of Abu Ghuraib. In fact, the pictures seemed to
flash
like a slide show through my brain, one after another. Grinning, leering
Americans torturing human beings stripped of every shred of their
humanity
in the eyes of their torturers.

And I understood. Mr. Ex-Navy would have fit right in.

I met the dark underbelly of America tonight. I really did meet the
enemy.
And he really is



--

Jeff Rigby wrote:

Harry, a good article that should be explored further.

When I meet or hear a black person who is rigidly racist I have to think
about what they must have gone thru in their life to turn them thus. I then
silently thank god for the black men who have risen above the resentment and
hate. They have had a positive impact on us.

When I hear a Liberal who is foaming at the mouth I have a hard time
understanding what they have gone thru. Nor does their retoric provide any
solutions to the real life problems they are protesting against.

The marine that went balistic at the poor man and woman who were peacefully
demonstrating I can understand because I have been thru some of the same
history. Thousands were killed needlessly in Vietnam because of POLITICS in
this country. It's starting again. A war that is nessasary for the long
term safety of the world is being turned into a political football.


There's no evidence the war Bush is waging will ensure the long term
safety of anything.


That's
treasonous behaviour provided they understand the necessity for the war.

Bull****.



There is the problem, rising above the "Bush hate" to understand the
reasoning. I can see it because I have been paying attention. It was
easier for me because I wasn't a "Hater" and by temperment I am a person who
asks why. The problem is Saudi Arabia but the solution is complicated
because we can't endanger the worlds oil supplies.

"P.Fritz" wrote in message
...

"NOYB" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I can empathize with Mr. ex-Navy. There's no reasoning with people like
Ms.
Kneisler because they lack logic and reason. It's like trying to debate
with a 2 year old. However, you don't get angry with the two year old,
because he/she doesn't know any better. A grown woman like Ms.
Kneisler
should know better...and that's where the frustration sets in.

She probably does, but it is all politics......11,000 deaths, as she
cites,
would equal between 88 and 158 days of deaths of innocents that Hussein
averaged. (depnding on whois doing the count)

So, that makes it OK to kill. I understand.


In reality, the US, in the
last year, has saved up to 35,000 in the last year

Where DO you girls come up with that 35,000 number? It's been bantied around
here by other Borg in the past.

P.Fritz wrote:
She probably does, but it is all politics......11,000 deaths, as she cites,
would equal between 88 and 158 days of deaths of innocents that Hussein
averaged. (depnding on whois doing the count) In reality, the US, in the
last year, has saved up to 35,000 in the last year

If that were a good moral justification for invading Iraq, then why did
Bush wait 3 years? Why did he not 1- announce as part of his 2000
campaign that he intended to invade Iraq and unseat Saddam Hussein and
2- why did he wait until after Sept 11th?

You're admitting, by this pseudo logic, that the U.S. is complicit in
all Iraqi deaths due to Baathist goon squads. Now let's see you justify
killings & torture by American goon squads.

DSK

** We don't mind a bit of marijuana for 'medicinal purposes' but sure do get
nervous around any firearms other than hunting rifles & shotguns **

"Doug Kanter" wrote in At least they've got
their heads on straight up your way. Here, those drugs
would've lead the cops to confiscate his house, his dog, his grandma, and
put him in jail for 319 years. :-)

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Jeff Rigby wrote:

Harry, a good article that should be explored further.

When I meet or hear a black person who is rigidly racist I have to think
about what they must have gone thru in their life to turn them thus. I
then
silently thank god for the black men who have risen above the resentment
and
hate. They have had a positive impact on us.

When I hear a Liberal who is foaming at the mouth I have a hard time
understanding what they have gone thru. Nor does their retoric provide
any
solutions to the real life problems they are protesting against.

The marine that went balistic at the poor man and woman who were
peacefully
demonstrating I can understand because I have been thru some of the
same
history. Thousands were killed needlessly in Vietnam because of
POLITICS in
this country. It's starting again. A war that is nessasary for the
long
term safety of the world is being turned into a political football.


There's no evidence the war Bush is waging will ensure the long term
safety of anything.

If you would clear your mind of your hatred of Pres. Bush you might be able
to see clearly enough to understand that we are in a war for our national
and western cultural survival.

\ That's
treasonous behaviour provided they understand the necessity for the war.

Bull****.

Really? Are you too stupid to see what is going on beyond our shores?


There is the problem, rising above the "Bush hate" to understand the
reasoning. I can see it because I have been paying attention. It was
easier for me because I wasn't a "Hater" and by temperment I am a person
who
asks why. The problem is Saudi Arabia but the solution is complicated
because we can't endanger the worlds oil supplies.

"Don White" wrote:
Another gun tottin' American jailed.

Hey Don, you guys ever take out your own trash? You know, like Robinson?

Got your own problems in the great white north, eh?

Jack

"Bert Robbins" wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
There's no evidence the war Bush is waging will ensure the long term
safety of anything.

Really? Are you too stupid to see what is going on beyond our shores?

Harry's too stupid to see what's going on beyond his next google for "Bush".
He's mesmerized by his hate.

Jack

Hunting rifles? Are they sort of like granola spoons, which are completely
different from sorbet spoons, soup spoons, corn flake spoons and others in
the spoon family? :-)

"Don White" wrote in message
...
** We don't mind a bit of marijuana for 'medicinal purposes' but sure do
get
nervous around any firearms other than hunting rifles & shotguns **

"Doug Kanter" wrote in At least they've got
their heads on straight up your way. Here, those drugs
would've lead the cops to confiscate his house, his dog, his grandma,
and
put him in jail for 319 years. :-)

"Bert Robbins" wrote in message
...

If you would clear your mind of your hatred of Pres. Bush you might be
able
to see clearly enough to understand that we are in a war for our national
and western cultural survival.

Too bad you didn't catch Zinni's interview today on NPR. Clue: Al Qaeda has
no shortage of new volunteers, most of whom are NOT religious loonies. Can
you guess why they want to get involved?