oh yeah

happy
birthday
mr
quest

scuttlebutt

seen
heard
said

F16s
were seen
over the skies of
PA
before flight 93
crashed

a trusted source
says
the plane was
shot down

[might explain]
[why they found]
[wreckage 8 miles away]

if so
i can understand
us keeping it quiet

but
i will also say
that put in that position
i
would not
hesitate
to down that
jetliner

[with a heavy]
[heart]
[and screaming soul]

(no subject)

[a comment inspired by Patrick]
[and posted to This post]
[i thought I would share it with the rest of you]

I do not support
the wholesale slaughter
of arabs
nor do
I think the vast
majority of arabs
would engage in
or support
these actions

but I find it an
untenable position
to blame our relationship
with israel for
these bombings

american support of
israel
may be a source
of anger for some
if not many moslems
but far more hate us
for our support of
oppressive and corrupt
arab regimes

look at the
persian gulf
where we support
governments that
do little to provide
opportunity for
their common citizens
while those who govern
live opulent lives
of palatial stature

I will admit
some bias
in my own personal history
but I believe you
can trust me to be
rational and fair minded

israel is the only
democracy within
two thousand miles

it has returned fire
when fired upon
and barely survived
several wars in which
all its neighbors attacked
it.
[nine countries in all]
it is currently
negotiating peace
with an organization
whose charter
[think constitution]
does not call for
freedom and justice
but for the
destruction of israel
and the
annihilation of all
who live there
man
woman
child

many have argued
and in some cases
I can see their point
that israel has gone to far
in its defensive and retaliatory strikes

israel is
today
now
in a war for her
survival
she has been
continually in this war
since 1948

in war
for those of you
who have not
served in such conditions
mistakes are made
errors in judgment
are common
and even occasionally
individual act out
of rage and do things
which even in war
we cannot condone.

all such actions
are
abhorrent

but as a policy
israel has been
incredibly restrained

for years
people have said
that israel should not
retaliate
should not seek
with passion to
defend its people
and its lands

for fifty years
we have lived with
the horror of terrorism

watch our brothers
sisters
wives
husbands
daughters
and
sons
die
randomly
and without
just cause

yet we still
try to live in peace

Arabs serve
in our government
in our army

their mosques occupy
our most holy site
and our army protects it
even when it is used
to attack our people

on the street
anyone can walk in peace

while as an american
and as a human
I feel shocked and
horrified by the events
of last Tuesday
and
I am disappointed
by the reaction
of many americans
in the blind fury

I think americans
and people around the world
would be well served
to take pause
and look at ourselves
before criticizing israel

the rage, horror
and fear that
we feel today

the people of israel
have lived with
this fear and
this horror
for fifty years

what ever your view
on the politics
of the middle east

I ask only this

take a moment
an think about your feelings
how this tragedy
has affected you

and
imagine
if you can
this happening
in cities around the country
on every month
for fifty years