Applause for Carol Ward [Archives:2004/785/Letters to the Editor]
Roy Yerex
Matlock Manitoba, Canada
[email protected]
I just read Carol Ward's letter to the editor. Cynicism is never a positive influence on discussion and her letter goes a long way to the proof of that maxim.
She says of the Jews and 9/11: “I knew they needed to change world headlines from “dangerous Israel” to “evil Islam”….” The men who committed that act, did it in neither Israel's name, nor in Islam's name. The comment is inflammatory and to be ignored by thinking people, in my humble opinion.
She goes on to say: “Islamic terror in Seattle would have cleaned the clocks of the anti-war left.” Islam abhors terror and thinking people, men and women, refuse to dignify terrorism by aligning it with Islam.
Her highly emotive attempt to line up “dead children” as supportive of her comments is abhorrent. That kind of jingoism is to be ignored by thinking people, in my humble opinion.
Who can be accused of 'controlling' the media, is entirely dependent on the reader and the reader's degree of ignorance, in my humble opinion. Who controls the Israeli press – their censors. Who controls Al Jazeera? Does anyone control the Canadian or Danish press? Such a comment is best ignored. It is mere jingoism.
Of the killing of children, Ms. Ward comments: “It was a brilliant choice of victims, superb timing for George, and a significant body count, insuring, new, very public demands for the extermination of 'radical' Islam, with radical Islamists being those who dare to fight back.”
How sad – how wrong, to associate the killing of children, so. What thinking person could possibly attribute the killing of innocents to Islam. Whoever would make such a link, is best prayed for and then ignored.
She goes on to say: “Jews are terrible losers… but they are frightful winners.” The sadness of the pitched battle that rages in Palestine, is that the actions of the participants, is more likely to perpetuate it, than to end it. Retribution upon retribution for retribution's sake seems what is taking up the lion's share of the energies there.
If there are fundamental issues, I see no one addressing them. At a time when humanity calls for addressing fundamental issues, each headline refers to conduct being “in response to” others' conduct. Each participant exists. Where is the impetus for peace, in the conduct of the participants?
Ms. Ward abuses a truth: “All we can do now is get out of the way and observe the downward spiral of Jewish success and excess.” If her assessment is correct, the truth is there for all participants – and the truth is, if one goes out to seek revenge, then that one should take two caskets. Good people do not stand aside in cynical sacrifice of other human beings.
I laud the steadfast adherence to Islam shown by so many of the writers in your paper – steadfastly decrying violence and steadfastly calling for peace.
Ms. Ward's letter serves an important purpose … that of highlighting the beauty of the true adherents to Islam who write, tirelessly, in your paper.
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[archive-e:785-v:13-y:2004-d:2004-10-28-p:letters]
