I hadnt been back here since I posted this thread, and didnt intend to. In the end I just came back to see if anybody had replied. I find this pile of bile has been left where I stand.
I upset people. I often do. Thats the price I pay for choosing to say what is on my mind. I almost never intend to make people, that is just often peoples reaction to a firmly held viewpoint, as in this case.
Im here to defend myself and say this: I DID NOT write anything I wrote to start fights. In every single case without exception I closed off and hit 'Submit Message' in the full expectation that would be the post that would bring people around to at least see my side of the argument, even though they were certain not to agree with it. In each case the opposite happens, it appears several people here are simply too emotionally charged by the feeling of bloodlust they have to actually be able to read and rationally digest what people have said.
This has led to a list of things which I have said being repeatedly posted here to slander my name. I, every case my words have been deliberately placed out of context to maximise the damage to me, and in some cases are outright lies.
That I swore: yes I did. I think in moderation to many people on here. If I`m the only one to swear then, well... I dont need to put anything else because I KNOW I`m not the only one to swear.
That I ate popcorn: metaphorically I did. It was gripping TV, like any major world event you care to mention I was simply glued to my screen sucking it all in. I am, by nature, an analytical person (why I`m good at Magic) and I also hold a degree in History and International Relations. My thoughts as the towers fell were not of the people inside, because at the time I didnt think anybody was still in them, I was thinking of how big the numbers were going to be and so how big the commensurate response was going to be. I also partially wasnt thinking about anything, I was just watching slackjawed as unbelievable things happened.
That my dad danced with glee: yes he did. Well, except for the dancing, cos hes old and fat and couldnt dance for £1m, he laughed a bit and sort of wiggled his finger in the air. My dad can be a singularly unpleasant individual, and he doesnt like Americans, for some reason. But EVERY TIME this is mentioned do people then go on to quote what I actually said which was 'which I thought was a bit much', no.
Called you sheep: NO I DIDNT. PLEASE DONT LIE ABOUT ME. I NEVER USED THE WORD SHEEP COS I DONT THINK THAT IS IN ANY WAY APPLICABLE. That was Lotus Mox I think, who said that. I would say the response of the American people was entirely different to that of Bush, who was running around a half dozen places looking for the biggest concrete bunker to sit in. The American people went to help, and I think their response of violence was an individual reaction. Possibly that does make it worse, that you didnt need a month of propaganda to make you want to kill people - you came to that decision entirely on your own.
Spoilt Children: Im sorry, I think that description is possibly the most apt that I have heard from any commentator. As much as there is worldwide support and unity for your plight, there is worldwide disquiet at the apparent willingness of the US to lash out ASAP. You have to recall that until recently the US was perhaps the safest place to live other than Australia in terms of terrorism and this sort of thing. You HAVE been able to live lives that have been relatively spolit by this good fortune, and it IS the case that your first response to this sort of event has been one of anger and not of acceptance and rationality.
Half the people here, possibly more, have reacted correctly - which is by acceptance and looking to turn this to some good. A few, however, have chosen to respond with pure emotion and no reason, reason is the difference between us and the rest of the animal kingdom.
That you deserved this: AGAIN A LIE. In fact I categorically stated that I thought the term 'deserved' or anything like it was inappropriate. I am simply trying to illustrate that anybody who thinks that these people have not decided to target the USA just for the fun of it, or because they are mad. It is because the US is a tremendous clear and present danger to their way of life, and they feel that they have no other option to achieve change than to attack you. The US is NOT perfect. I dont say this to anger anybody, I say it because it is simply true, it is a relevant fact for this information and to place the events in context.
Im not sure this IS like Pearl Harbour, I think its possibly a more accurate analogy to the beginning of the American War Of Independence, where they tried to strike back to throw off the yoke of unwanted foreign interference. The choice of target casts the attackers as the villains, not the heroes, but nevertheless this was NOT an attack that occured without context.
That context does not excuse that attack, or the tragedy that occured, but it DOES help in understanding it.
Id also like to briefly tackle the 'Heal Thyself' quote that people have been quoting. I wrote that in response to somebody whos basic post was "Those bastards, anybody who wants to kill people should be killed, and Im going to do the killing myself". Im sorry. I found that at once hilarious in an ironic way, because in one sentence he managed to cast himself in the exact light I see him - as identical to the terrorists - and yet didnt realise it.
I also found it very sad that he wanted to kill people, and definately thought that he, like all people who want to kill people, should start by killing himself then see how far he got after that.
Ive deliberately antagonised nobody.
Ive put my thoughts on this event calmly and rationally. I swore, I believe, once. If you think I didnt post rationally, then read my posts again, because I did - believe every post I made was like this. A logically progressing piece, because I dont know how to write any other way.
My thoughts are no more disturbing to you than yours are to me. Yet I have not felt the need to slander you. I have instead NOT reacted angrily, I chose to walk away rather than upset you further. Fine, slander me some more.
Griffith: The point is that I WAS THERE when something like this happened to us. And I WASNT angry. I didnt grab a gun and go over to Ireland looking for people, which I think is what would have happened in many cases in America if this had been an attack from, say, Mexico. That is the salutory difference I am trying to attract your attention to - YOUR response to this is an eye for an eye, which is wrong. You response to this is to strike back, which is wrong. Your response to this is to kill, which is wrong.
My response is to see that it never happens again.
Id like to close by saying that somebody here has said it would be fine to kill 100,000 arab children and civilians if they got the dozen people who did this at the same time.
I dont think anything else needs to be said about my point of view.
