Compassion and mercy do NOT make you weak!

Who has the strength to admit certain movies brings a tear to the eye? Who has the strength to admit that the notion of killing children in a war makes the stomach lurch and the brain stutter? Who has the strength to admit that to visit death upon the innocent is humanity's worst crime?

We do.

It's one thing to kill one's enemies. Sometimes that's what it takes to survive. But "collateral damage" is a reprehensible phrase, and should be avoided at all costs. I've heard people say things like "we should just bomb them back to the stone age."

And what about all the people who DON'T agree with suicide bombing and the murder of innocents? Should we just kill them too?

I'm no coward. Nor am I a pacifist. No one who had to learn to stand up to bullies is likely to be either. But I'm also not the kind to put on a uniform and learn to kill people who are no threat to me or mine.

We've lost something, we Americans. We've lost a sense of righteousness. Not self-righteousness, which we seem to have in abundance, but the belief that we know the difference between right and wrong, and what acts to which we may contribute that violates that belief. I think we've gained a few things over the past few decades, but we've lost too.

Most people don't WANT to be racist, even if they are a little. Most people don't WANT to be homophobic, even if they are. These are a few of the areas we've gained a little ground. But when we consider the likelihood of bombing a place like Iran, where people have been struggling against a repressive regime for years, not enough of us stand up and say "what about those who AREN'T our enemies?"

Sure, their leader is probably a nutjob. But there are millions of Iranians who harbor us no ill will. But if we bomb them? That will change.

The same was probably once true in Iraq as well.

We are more than dealers of death. We have been a shining light to the world, even considering our patches of internal darkness. We've offered hope to millions and yet, here we are, losing hope ourselves.

We betray our ideals and our humanity by allowing such things to happen in our name. And there are those who know it, who are willing to throw themselves daily against the barriers between us and our "representives," even if the media mocks them and some of us revile their behavior. It's the only thing they can think to do.

We have to stop these people. We have to. What price is too much to pay to put an end to it all? What sacrifice too great?

These words, along with "Bismillah" starts all but one sura of the Qur'an. The words mean "Oh Divine Mercy, Oh Divine Compassion". They come from the root "rh" meaning "birthing". To my mind, this tells me several things: One, that mercy and compassion are abundant and should be all-pervading; two, that, like a birth, mercy and compassion are forever new each time they are used; third, that they are indeed strong, and using them makes a person stronger.

We must stop those who would hate and kill. We must stop them but not by hating and killing ourselves, as this simply makes them stronger. We must gather our forces for non-violence, helping those who need help, working together, and taking a day, an hour--when we say No More. Not in My Name.

Can't, haven't you heard, we don't have the votes...

Something else we have lost is our self confidence. Used to be the word impossible was a challenge to Americans, now it's a rallying cry for wimping out.

Just varying degrees of probability."

I'm willing to tackle the impossible. It might not even hurt.

Fight an uphill battle against all odds and an enemy who is dug in, better funded and better resourced. I'm right fucking there.

"Sir, the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field are 3720 to 1!" "Never tell me the odds."

Sometimes I feel like Han Solo in a world of C3PO's.