Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Osama's Guilt
Warning. Explicit grammatical abuse and literary license with imagery taken.
Mohamad Omram. He jumps up and declares that the bombings on September eleven weren't the work of Osama. Not exactly the safest thing to say, in a world where Osama is the enemy, The evil, eater of babies, with liberty crushed under one boot heal and freedom under the other. Laughing as he smokes a cigar filled with oil from the millions of oil wells he controls, and bathing in the blood of the righteous.
That's what they need us to believe. Whatever else he is, Osama is a human being. Perhaps a particularly warped one. Its only when we can convince ourselves that were on some kind of crusade against some intrinsically evil force that we can justify the kinds of things Americans have been doing tot their prisoners recently. That many soldiers can even bring themselves to kill.
Whatever else he is, he's a man. And he's entitled to the same things every other man is. By that I mean, the assumption of innocence. Osama has never been convicted of this crime, and even convicted criminals are allowed to appeal. Are allowed the assumption that there is a chance they might not be guilty. And yet, when such a theory is even hinted at Mr. Howard feels free to say, such comments are "“extraordinary and irresponsible"”
I cant help but feel John's real issue is with the fact that the sheik suggested an alternative culprit, his bestest buddy in the whole wide world, and that's what this is really about.
As far as I'm concerned Osama did it, but until, and even after he's been convicted in a court of law, we must continue to give him the same freedoms we give any suspected/convicted criminal. And that includes the right to defensece.
Otherwise, were the ones with freedom, with liberty being crushed under OUR boot heels.
Mohamad Omram. He jumps up and declares that the bombings on September eleven weren't the work of Osama. Not exactly the safest thing to say, in a world where Osama is the enemy, The evil, eater of babies, with liberty crushed under one boot heal and freedom under the other. Laughing as he smokes a cigar filled with oil from the millions of oil wells he controls, and bathing in the blood of the righteous.
That's what they need us to believe. Whatever else he is, Osama is a human being. Perhaps a particularly warped one. Its only when we can convince ourselves that were on some kind of crusade against some intrinsically evil force that we can justify the kinds of things Americans have been doing tot their prisoners recently. That many soldiers can even bring themselves to kill.
Whatever else he is, he's a man. And he's entitled to the same things every other man is. By that I mean, the assumption of innocence. Osama has never been convicted of this crime, and even convicted criminals are allowed to appeal. Are allowed the assumption that there is a chance they might not be guilty. And yet, when such a theory is even hinted at Mr. Howard feels free to say, such comments are "“extraordinary and irresponsible"”
I cant help but feel John's real issue is with the fact that the sheik suggested an alternative culprit, his bestest buddy in the whole wide world, and that's what this is really about.
As far as I'm concerned Osama did it, but until, and even after he's been convicted in a court of law, we must continue to give him the same freedoms we give any suspected/convicted criminal. And that includes the right to defensece.
Otherwise, were the ones with freedom, with liberty being crushed under OUR boot heels.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Re-Hash
Well.. its been a while since i wrote anything here. What can I say, I havent had anything interesting i was willing to post here to say. But theres one post ive been meaning to write for a while.
A little while back, I posted a question. I was accused in some places of being a troll for posting it.. that I was just trying to foster discontent.
That wasnt my intention, and to anyone who got that impression, I apologise.
I posted the question in the way I did, because I didnt have a firm answer. I wanted people untainted comments so I would get as many varied thoughts as posible. Having read all these thoughts, ill now attempt to formulate my thoughts on these thoughts.
I wasnt happy with any of the answers, so I asked my minister to post there as well, and he has done so. I still wasnt completly happy...
I think it does come down to what many of you said.. basically.. as Laurel-li put it
God is perfect. He Can't make mistakes.
I know this is not really an answer. It feels to me like a giant cop-out.
But its not. We dont understand this fully, but we do have from the bible a picture of God. And while people will argure what that picture shows, the picture I see wouldent needlessly condemn anyone. So all we can do is trust him to be fair. Righteous. Just.
Not really what I wanted, but then lifes not about getting what yo want, but instead about getting the truth.
Matt
A little while back, I posted a question. I was accused in some places of being a troll for posting it.. that I was just trying to foster discontent.
That wasnt my intention, and to anyone who got that impression, I apologise.
I posted the question in the way I did, because I didnt have a firm answer. I wanted people untainted comments so I would get as many varied thoughts as posible. Having read all these thoughts, ill now attempt to formulate my thoughts on these thoughts.
I wasnt happy with any of the answers, so I asked my minister to post there as well, and he has done so. I still wasnt completly happy...
I think it does come down to what many of you said.. basically.. as Laurel-li put it
Given the topic, I can really say only this: the bible does not say, therefore we cannot know but, instead, must trust that God will do what is right in accordance with His will
God is perfect. He Can't make mistakes.
I know this is not really an answer. It feels to me like a giant cop-out.
But its not. We dont understand this fully, but we do have from the bible a picture of God. And while people will argure what that picture shows, the picture I see wouldent needlessly condemn anyone. So all we can do is trust him to be fair. Righteous. Just.
Not really what I wanted, but then lifes not about getting what yo want, but instead about getting the truth.
Matt
