[JohnGalt]

Debating the merits of foreign interventions is fine and fair, but you are closing your eyes to the article and the posters who are content to ostensibly have American soldiers take terrorist bullets rather than themselves.

What say you to the poster who said at least they can shoot back?

The responsibility of preservation of self and family is a moral responsibility abdicated by many apparently.

More Todd Beamers
Fewer Ivy Leaguers

[1Old Pro]

What say you to the poster who said at least they can shoot back?

I would agree with that poster.

[dirtboy]

The responsibility of preservation of self and family is a moral responsibility abdicated by many apparently.

I would say that the best approach is a combination of an armed citizenry AND a professional military to take the fight to where the terrorists are based AND good intel to root out the buggers. Armed citizens on planes (or at least armed pilots) nmay have prevented the 9/11 attacks - but armed citizens would have done nothing to prevent the first WTC attack.

[hchutch]

In case you haven't noticed, Todd Beamer's dead. Yeah, he went out a hero and took his murderers down with him, but he's still dead, and never had a CHANCE to get out of his predicament alive.

That MIGHT be acceptable to you, but not to me. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Right now, the terrorists are caught in between two bad options. They CANNOT allow the liberation of Iraq to stand, but if they go it Iraq and take on our troops, they have little chance of coming out of that encounter alive.

Every terrorist our troops kill in Iraq is a terrorist that cannot kill innocent Americans here or abroad. Do we lose troops? Yeah, and while I hate that, I hate what happened on 9/11 a lot more.