A military
response, particularly
an attack on
Afghanistan, is
exactly what
the terrorists want.
It will strengthen
and swell their
small but fanatical
ranks. Instead,
bomb Afghanistan
with butter, with
rice, bread,
clothing and
medicine.
It will cost less than
conventional
arms, poses no threat
of US casualties
and just might get
the populace
thinking that maybe
the Taliban
don't have the answers.
After three
years of drought and
with starvation
looming, let's
offer the Afghani
people the vision
of a new future.
One that includes
full stomachs.
Bomb them with
information.
Video players and
cassettes of
world leaders,
particularly
Islamic leaders,
condemning terrorism.
Carpet the
country with
magazines and
newspapers showing
the horror of
terrorism committed
by their
"guest". Blitz
them with laptop
computers and
DVD players filled
with a perspective
that is denied!
them by their
government.
Saturation bombing
with hope will
mean that some
of it gets through.
Send so much
that the Taliban can't
collect and
hide it all. The
Taliban are
telling their people to
prepare for
Jihad. Instead, let's
give the Afghani
people their first
good meal in
years. Seeing your
family fully
fed and the prospect
of stability
in terms of food and a
future is a
powerful deterrent to
martyrdom. All
we ask in return is
that they, as
a people, agree to
enter the civilized
world. That
includes handing
over terrorists in
their midst.
In responding to
terrorism we
need to do something
different. Something
unexpected..something
that
addresses the
root of the problem.
We need
to take away the well of
despair, ignorance
and brutality
from which
the Osama bin Laden's
of the world
water their gardens of
error.
David Isreal Program
Director 97.3
- The COAST - WFLC
954 522 9814
My daughter Aine
and I were walking
in the woods
today playing a game.
She was pretending
that there were
monsters in
the forest and that
they were coming
to eat us. We had
to be vigilant.
We had to defend
ourselves. I
asked her "What is the
plan? What are
we going to do if we
see one of the
monsters?" She
replied, "Feed
them." "Feed them?"
I said.
"Yes," she said.
"If we feed them
they won't want
to eat us." I think
she has the
answer there. Imagine
if George Bush
took that $40
billion that
Congress gave him and
used it to feed
people. Heck, take
$20 billion
to fix up US security
and clean up
New York and use the
other half to
feed people. And not
just feed them
with food.
What if we decided
that people's
spirits needing
feeding too? What
if
we chose to
take $1 billion and
build the biggest,
most beautiful
mosque in the
world, right in the
heart of Kabul.
And what if we gave
it as a gift,
no quid pro quo, as a
place for people
to feed their
spirits? What
would the reaction
be? What do
we want the reaction to
be? We have
choices.
Seems we could
bomb innocent people
to death and
celebrate, mirroring
the images of
this week, and
thereby satisfy
our thirst for
vengence. But
what would that get
us? A world
that so admired the
West that it
wanted to emulate it
in every way
and celebrates it;s
way of life?
Or would a large part
of the 5 billion
people that don't
live in the
west see things
differently?
Would more people feel
as if vengence
was the only
possible response,
and figure out
more simple
and effective ways to
terrorize? We
can have that kind of
world if we
choose it.
Or we can take
Aine's advice and
feed people.
And what would that
get us? There
is no better way to
rob the world
of it's anger and
bitterness,
jealousy and hate, than
to feed people
unconditionally...feed
their
bodies, minds
and spirits. Build
places of learning,
places of
spirit, places
for healing and
nourishment,
places of community.
Take that $40
billion dollars and
spend it in
every neighborhood in
the world. Put
the world to work
growing food,
healing people,
restoring land
and water, building
communities,
creating the thin
fibres of connection
between
peoples, families,
communties,
cities, nations....
"If we feed
them they won't
want to eat us."
Can you think
of a better form of
security?
Millie Sieber, Storyteller millietales@yahoo.com <mailto:millietales@yahoo.com>
831 Somerset Dr.
Maryville, TN 37803-7725 865 980-5985