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• Friday, June 16, 2006 01:27 AM

  The Idea That Islam Is A Threat Is Preposterous

  In the lead up to war, it seemed possible that even though Saddam obviously didn't have any nuclear weapons, he might use oil money to get some someday.

  That thought changed me from anti-war to a qualified pro-war.

  The change lasted 1-1/2 days, as I remembered that reasoning from fear isn't reasoning at all. Protecting ourselves from nuclear weapons was a completely different business then invading Iraq, and invading Iraq was a dumb idea.

  Protecting ourselves from a few hundred angry and poor ( compared to our wealth ) foreigners shouldn't scare us out of our wits. We're a nation of 300 MILLION PEOPLE.

  Every nation on the face of earth has a few hundred people who would like to "hurt" it. There are nuts right here who would like to destroy America. I've heard nuts right here say they would love to nuke Iran, or nuke Israel, or kill any number of foreign individuals who they hate for various reasons.

  Some crimes do get carried out, like the Oklahoma City bombing. It's no coincidence that the perpetrator of that incident cited his anger at our government's overblown and stupidly miliaristic response to the Waco wackos, another group that was angry AND fearful.

  Each time we crank up the fear and fire up the big guns, how many more wackos do we motivate to get up off the couch and go buy some explosives?

  Islam's Koran does contain some hateful messages, maybe even more hateful messages then the Bible. The vast majority of Christians don't advocate the kind of slaughter directed by God in the Old Testament, and the vast majority of Muslims don't support flying airplanes into buildings full of people.

  Are you afraid of Muslims? Really? Do you REALLY think that Islam is a threat?

  As someone who's sold security equipment, I understand the power of fear to make a sale. We're being sold a cart of bull, for a trillion dollar price tag.

  The wisest words ever spoken by an American President:

  "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

  So stop with the damn fear already!

  —grubert Read grubert's other letters
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