Terrorists...

Well, it seems Mr. Osama bin Laden is alive and kicking (or at least he was alive and kicking when he taped his last message). As per usual there were threats of impending attacks on the West, especially the U.S.A., and the usual anti-United States banter. There was, however, something new this time around. This time there was also talk of a truce. Now to me this is amazing news. It shows that Osama bin Laden and his group are open minded enough and are actually looking out for the people of the Middle East and not just for themselves. (Of course I don't think that being an international terrorist is really a healthy way to look after oneself but I deigress).

This talk of a truce, however, got a very different response from the White House. Apparantly we do not make truces with terrorists. The funny thing is is that the so called terrorists do not view themselves as terrorists. They are soldiers in a war against the U.S. and as such can as for a truce, even for a short time, to help the peoples of their countries. What many in the U.S. fail to realize is that the so called terrorists under Osama bin Laden are (for all intents and purposes) at the same level as those who followed William Wallace in 1297 fight against the English. The Scots who fought alongside William Wallace were considered patriots of Scotland who did what they had to to fight against a larger more powerful force.

Look at the stories of Sir Robin of Loxley or more commonly known as Robin Hood. Now if you ask me, someone who leads a bunch of men who live in athe wild who evade the local law enforcement because what they do is attack and steal from one type of person to give to another type of person in the name of what they believe is "right" sounds a lot like what Osama bin Laden is doing. The tales of Robin Hood are sotries that every child is taught at some point because our society feels that a man fighting for his ideals is something worth while. Stories like that of Robin Hood are made to teach us that when the cause is right and just that we are allowed to fight against the standing regime if that regime is acting in such a way that is "evil". Our very government is based off of that fact, the Declaration of Independance says the following:

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

So are those men and women who fought against Britain, for our independance, any way they could to get them off American soil, any different than those fighting for their own freedoms and their own culture in the Middle East?

Now do not misundertand me, I am in no way agreeing with the actions of the terrorists. I think that violence never truly solves a problem, it just leads to more violence. All I am saying is that I can bring myself to understand why they do what they do. To them fighting the West and getting them out of their countries is right and just and part of me has to agree. The only reason why Western governments have any real interest in the area is because of the oil that is produced there. The U.S. would never tolerate the military presence of any other country on U.S. soil yet we expect other countries to allow us to build bases and so on because we are the mighty U.S.

So before any of you go and say that the terrorists are all evil and cold hearted stop and think for a few minutes as to why they are doing what they are doing. Look at what they are fighting for. They see themselves as soldiers so when they offer a truce we should not just brush it aside and say we are the good guys and they are bad so no deal. We should sit down with them and see if we cannot just end this conflict without more bloodshed. Just think about it....