bombs for bombs

The UK has been a lot in the news lately... the G-8 summit, the winning bid of the 2012 Olympics, and now tragically, a coordinated bomb attack on its transportation system that has already claim about 40 lives and injured 700 others. My prayers are with everyone there, especially former Brit co-workers from my time in Japan.

As my friend wisely observes, violence breeds more violence, and I can't help but wonder if the recent US invasion and occupation of Iraq has created more problems than it's solved. After all, it's been about 4 years since the awful events of September 11th, but do we really live in a safer and more peaceful world?

We've declared a "war on terror", a ridiculous term because you can't exactly fight against a method - and in all honesty, that's what "terror" is - the spread of fear and intimidation by random acts of violence. We point out Al Qaida, Hamas, the IRA, and other groups, waving our fingers in condemnation, and yes, the crimes they have committed are truly evil.

But if Americans are honest with themselves, our history is marred with the same practices as the very terrorists we fight - the blanket imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII; the lynchings and church bombings of the Civil Rights era; the various guerilla armies in South America funded, trained, and equipped with full USA support (School of the Americas, anyone?) Even events as recent as the sexual molestation of a 10 year old girl by a US soldier on Okinawa should remind Americans like myself that we are as a human and capable of depravity as the terrorists that bombed London today.

Yes, we can be "bad guys" too.

So what now? Will we lash back at them, bomb their innocents, maim their women and children? Do we obey our dark impulses to seek bloody, mindless vengeance and continue the circle of hatred until we annihilate each other?

Don't get me wrong, justice should be served and those who are directly behind the bombing should be arrested... but I just hope our search for justice and peace doesn't become an excuse to indescriminately attack another country when the true enemy still lies within.
posted by G at 10:40 PM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33