>>Check out Barbara Kingsolver's words at:
>>
>>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/09/25/ED34658.DTL
>
>I tend to agree with the article, but I don't think she accurately characterized Rep. Barbara Lee's vote. I saw a clip of her speech before the House, and she seemed to be saying that war was not going to stop the terrorists. My impression was that her vote wasn't so much about giving the President such power, but going to war against terrorism. In other words, fighting back wasn't going to solve the problem.
>
>If that is the case, I couldn't disagree with her more. I totally do not understand the pacifists in this case. I am convinced that terrorists will come after us, whether we fight back or not. I saw an excellent sign held up be a group counter-protesting the pacifists: War Stopped Hitler. I am not comparing what the terrorists did to what the Nazis did, but they aren't much better.

I agree with Chris. I tend to be more pacifistic and diplomatic, and I see war as an absolute last resort to be used only when all other means of dispute resolution have been exhausted.

But that IS the case here. War has already been declared on us by these extremists, and we need to attack with the strongest force possible to eliminate all terrorists and their supporters from this planet. I do not even see incarceration as an option here. Remember all the terrorist hijackings in the 80's? They demanded that certain terrorist be freed from prison - what do you think is going to happen if we jail Osama Bin Laden?

It is not a matter of revenge - it is a matter of global protection.