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Hello there SFSPRep! I wish I could say you're not the first to comprehend and comment upon the laocoon element...but you are. Ironically, it is a famous Jewish woman that I owe my thanks to for bringing it to my attention - B. Tuchman.

What books do you recommend? I am especially interested in History books that are matter of fact, pragmatic. A favorite mainstream historian of mine is Paul Johnson - he earned my total trust after I read his Intellectuals book. What books are good "intro" books that could be read by Christian teens who are trying to make sense of all this?

Others, e.g. Peters who wrote From Time Immemorial, I have a great deal of trouble understanding, and find the rhetoric totally one-sided. Gabriel's Islam and Terrorism was an unreal book written by a Christianized Arab, who was at one time a leading Islamic professor, so I definitely recommend that; it's made me listen to any word uttered by any Koran-believing Muslim with lots of doubt. The Koran outright teaches it's OK, and in fact, it's mandated, to lie and deceive in order to convert the world to Islam. I also liked that famous Hittite guy from Columbia (Princeton?) who wrote the Arab History tome. That book alone gave me insights into middle eastern tribalism that make a lot sense. (Hebrews originated in the Middle East too....but I sense more and more I am being instructed not to see them as a tribe or group of tribes.)

Where do you find Jews and/or Arabs that are willing to talk in muted, thoughtful tones about this? Especially ones that are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt about why you are speaking about this at all?

Where do you find Jews and or Arabs who say "I am an American! My citizenship is with but one country, this one!" That is what I am; I have all kinds of mongrel blood in my veins, some of it German, some of it American Indian. But I'm not "Native-American; I'm not a German-American". I am an American - someone who is willing to fight for freedom, for freedom isn't free. I had no trouble serving in our Military - fighting in the Cold War.

But when I read about Jewish kids who are born and raised here leaving the USA to serve in a Jewish Army, when I read about Muslim kids born and raised here in the USA to go and serve in a Muslim Army....it seems a lot like I am reading about people from two tribes who have decided hate is the highest good. That American anything is just a vehicle to be used to promote their side of the tribal fight. In short, I see American Freedom as an idea being ignored, attacked, and worse, laughed at.

And finally, I see that 9-11 was an event that both sides now look at matter of factly and say to themselves, "now that we have opened a new front, let's see who wins". That's what it really feels like - like the Middle East is in Ohio now. It's simply not the way I grew up; and I'm not pleased my kids are being sold on the idea that they are "good" or "bad" depending upon which side they choose.

It's all pretty frustrating.

But when I read about Jewish kids who are born and raised here leaving the USA to serve in a Jewish Army, when I read about Muslim kids born and raised here in the USA to go and serve in a Muslim Army....it seems a lot like I am reading about people from two tribes who have decided hate is the highest good.

Well, that's insulting. You sound like you already have your mind made up and you're just looking for more material to confirm what you already want to believe.

My son decided to join the IDF in order to defend our loved ones who happen to live there. How does that make hate the "highest good" in Alouette's society? We don't raise our children from birth to believe that the greatest thing they can do is murder "infidels" and we don't instruct our children to murder "infidels" by using their own bodies as weapons of mass destruction. DON'T PUT ME AND MINE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KILL us and you too.