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<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>We are
not in a time of clean response but gray areas to deepen the conversation and
open the space to all perspectives is perhaps the clearest hope.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I am
not saying by any means that the terrorist attacks were justified or forgivable
however terror has often been the response of the powerless to the
powerful. The case of the American Revolution in its early days being a
clear example. As Americans we justify our terror because the British were
so powerful and oppressive. The Islamic Fundamentalist Movement has set
the US in exactly the same frame and not simply as economically repressive but
in a religious and cultural context.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>We can
not erase the social-cultural-political past that has created an environment in
which a significant percentage of the world perceives the US as self-centered
and arrogant in its responses. Nor does the rest of the world look
particularly caring when what they often express as appropriate
responses are also self-serving to their interest.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>The
opportunity is to move into a response on behalf of the future not the
past. The danger of acknowledging mistakes is in liability. The
danger in not acknowledging them is in creating disbelief and
cynicism. The US wants to attack terrorists endangering the US while
protecting terrorists that are aligned with the US or allies it hopes to gain in
its "War on Terrorism." Thus immediately creating a gap that feeds
cynicism.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>It
seems to me the US and its allies should do 3 things immediately:<BR>1)
Disavow the use of terrorism directly or indirectly by the US in the future and
remove immediately support from groups that currently use terrorism unless they
are willing to disavow its use in the future. Which would have to include
Israel which uses what is in affect responsive terrorism to combat the
Palestinian problem. Otherwise the current war is open to cynicism both
from enemies and friends and the "with us or against us" has a very demonic
tone. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>2)
Provide humanitarian support immediately and without strings to all
communities in the world who are in need of assistance. Starting with the
middle east. This would probably mean utilizing NGO's.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>3) Introduce programs of education in the US to communicate the
teachings of the Koran and the accomplishments of the people of Islam.
This should include television shows based on middle eastern Americans and their
social reality similar to African American and other shows which raise awareness
of normal life of our multi-racial democracy. Currently Americans have few
images available to them of the middle east that do not relate to Islamic Terror
or limitation of Christians and Jews in the Holy Lands. The face of Middle
Eastern peoples as diverse, complex and human needs to be communicated so that
the human face of who we are relating too can become real.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040415502-26092001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>(David
Koehler)<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 26, 2001 10:21 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: The Way of the
Warrior<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>Joe:
<BR><BR>I am not sure I fit into the pacifist category or not. Each
situation demands its own strategy. To reiterate a theme I wrote about
before, there is a "time for peace and a time for war" as it is written in
Ecclesiastes. What I am concerned about is that we know which time is
which. War seems to me to be the ultimate politics. In our current
situation, we need to weigh the need to politically (and morally) bring the
terrorists to justice (but not through vengeance) for the American people
first, but also for the our world allies. <BR><BR>Another front,
however, is not only our allies, but our adversaries (not to include the
terrorists). If we are to retain a leadership role in the world, it
would be nice to have it be because we do the right things in a just way.
Not just because we have military capability or economic ability.
So whether or not a Healer, Visionary, Teacher or Warrior is
preferred seems to me to depend on what's needed. Viet Nam was a mistake
because it was wrong. What we were told were our interests were not in
fact our true interests. (I have also been told that the recent US
interest in Columbia is not to rid the world of drugs, but because there are
large oil reserves are being discovered.) <BR><BR>Thanks, <BR>David
Koehler</FONT> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>