Libya & Egypt

 

So, the US Ambassador to Libya was killed and his body dragged through the streets of Libya.  This provoked a very raw and basic reaction in my gut that said "Kill the bastards, leave none alive".  Some of this was likely due to my Marine Corps indoctrination but I believe that some of it also came from being alive and impressionable during the Iran hostage crisis and seeing how our people were treated by those who would hold them hostage for 444 days.  I saw the truck bomb blow up in front of our embassy filled with Marines in Beiruit.  I saw terrorists of all forms attacking, blowing up, and killing our military personnel, embassy personnel, and citizens, and I saw our government bending over and grabbing their ankles and just continuing to take it. 

After some thought and discussion on Facebook with friends & relatives, I find that my basic reaction is still the same.  These are not humans.  These are animals.  You'll note, I have not said "these muslims are not human".  I have several friends that are muslim and I would fight to the death to defend them if we were together and they were to come to harm.  These people would call themselves muslim, but they are cut from the same cloth as those who would bomb abortion clinics, who would shoot OB/GYN's who perform abortions, and those who picket the funerals of slain military members because they dislike the positions of the US government.  These are not people.  They are not human.  They gave up their humanity when they decided that it was perfectly fine and justified to kill someone for their religious beliefs. 

I believe that abortion is wrong, but I don't shoot doctors and don't blow up abortion clinics.  The difference between me and Eric Rudolf is that I have preserved my humanity while he has forfeited his.  I believe that every child has a basic human right to be born, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to plant an improvised explosive device filled with nails and glass and place it in a public park full of people who don't hold an opinion either way.

I am offended when people insult Christianity, Judaism, and Catholicism, but I don't kill them or muster up a mob to pull them from their homes and drag them through the streets.  This is because I acknowledge their human rights to speak freely.  I wish they'd be more intelligent in their discussion of religion, but I won't behead them if they choose not to be educated.

While my friend David would forgive people for their transgressions, I cannot.  I cannot because I don't believe that they're human.  I'll forgive human beings for their mistakes, I will forgive people when they acknowledge that they likely acted in bad faith or improperly.  But these are not people they are animals. 

And we all know that an animal that attacks and kills innocent humans must be destroyed.