[Monty22]

You know we got hit bad if uberliberal NY Times is even being pro-American.

[Quix]

I agree with much said.

HOWEVER, UNDERSTANDING IS FAR BETTER THAN IGNORANCE OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.

IT MAY COST pride, or sensibilities or comfort or a lot of things but understanding is still better than lack of understanding.

Even if sister was murdered--understanding could afford more peace and quasi-closure than lack of understanding gnawing endlessly at one's heart, mind and soul.

[Quix]

UNDERSTANDING

IS

*******NOT*******

EQUAL

TO

JUSTIFICATION OR EXCUSING SOMETHING.

[f.Christian]

The professor directly across the hall (a world-famous mathematician) responded by printing a flag on a departmental printer, posting it in the center of a bulletin boards and then, when some unknown person unposted it, printing and posting it again - and this time it stayed.

when some unknown person unposted it, ...hmmmm!

[earonthief]

Understanding is great... we've spent one whole year in undrestanding. Now it's "Their" turn to do some "understanding".

[MadIvan]

Understanding in this instance is merely following the advice of Sun Tsu:

Know thy enemy, know thyself, in a thousand battles, a thousand victories.

We should acquire knowledge of the Islamists and about their culture for the purposes of assessing their weaknesses and destroying them.

Regards, Ivan

[I still care]

He was a professor in the humanities (although not at Yale, where I teach); he said, The right approach to the events of 9/11 is to try to understand just why those people hate us so much, or words to the effect

If someone even DARED to talk like that to me, I think I would turn around and seriously say, "You know, you are right. I am glad you agree with me. I have always thought we needed to understand Hitler better. He was SO misunderstood. What Nazi Germany REALLY needed was compassion. We just didn't understand the German Nazi culture at that time. Do you know how repressed they were by the superpowers?"

I could go on and on. I bet that would shut them up in a hurry.

[ImpBill]

Nice find and a refreshing voice from academia. I opt for the hatred mode. I could care less why the sick bastards attacked us but I do know why ... ISLAM in it's fundamental core is a sick philosophy bent upon world domination or destruction.

KILL EM ALL!!

[MSSC6644]

If anyone wants to understand, well, at least get some idea of, what we're dealing with, I recommend two books: The Haj by Leon Uris and Whirlwind by James Clavell. They are novels, easy to read, but each sets out very clearly the evil that guides these cultures. And of course, they defy true understanding; we in the west have no real point of reference - I doubt even Hitler would have slaughtered his own children, now Stalin, that's another thing.

[7thson]

Very good post.

A HANDSHAKE doesn't mean "I love you," it means "I accept you." By saying what he did, the professor offered the terrorists a metaphorical handshake.

He might say, "But I didn't mean to do that; it's just that I was too thick or dumb or obtuse to grasp what I was saying." (Possibly he wouldn't use exactly those words.)

Fine, professor; but it looks as if a figurative handshake is exactly what you intended, and what counts in this world is what you say, not what you intended to say.

From a different viewpoint: If you do business with a man, you are stamping him with your personal seal of approval. This "personal seal" doesn't assert much - no one expects you to conduct a detailed investigation beforehand - but it does tell the world that, so far as you know, the fellow is a minimally decent human being.

Honorable people do not invite impenitent murderers to lunch, or buy used cars from them.

What was the message we - the United States of America - sent the world when Clinton was elected President - twice!!! I think we showed the world a wall with no mortar, and evil ba****ds such as Bin Laden and Saddam have taken advantage of the situation.

The talk show people - Rush, Hannity, et al; are making a big deal about what Clinton said in 1998 about Iraq and the support he got from DemoRATs and what GW is saying today and the non-support he is getting from DemoRATs. What I have not heard anyone say is that the reason the Dems supported Clinton in 1998 is that they knew he was full of s**t. They knew he would do nothing. And the world knew it then, also. That is why the world was not concerned back then. They are concerned now, because they know that GW is going to do something.

[John O]

Some Christians will say that, although it is natural to hate a man who murdered your sister, you must overcome that hatred. But there is a big difference between having an emotion and then - by dint of struggle or faith - overcoming it and never having had it at all.

And those so called Christians would be wrong, The bible commands us to hate evil. Now we are also commanded to forgive them. And we must indeed forgive them. That forgiveness however does not prevent us from dispensing justice. Forgiveness has nothing to do with justice. I have already forgiven the islamikazis. I also cry out to God for justice to be done (first save them and then remove them from this world. If they refuse to be saved then just remove them)

God Save America (Please)

[gunshy]

If a group of ultra right wing conservative militia types were to go onto the campi of this country and kill 3000 or so of these liberal professors, would the liberals rush to try and understand why those who did it hated them so?. I think not.

[rockfish59]

Shake this!