“Damn trigger happy Americans, Since when is Death good?”

Death is good when you have lived for too long.

The definition of "too long" varies greatly between an internal and an external definition.

Some people seek death. Some people run from it for as long as they can. It finds everyone eventually.

I feel badly for those who die in war. Especially those who die in a war that has nothing to do with them.

But I feel worse for those who live every day in fear of torture for years. Those who don't have enough to eat. Who can't speak their mind to their friends about the things that concern them for fear of "disappearing".

War is bad. War is not a good solution for anything. War always does more harm than good. War is inevitable anytime you have someone(s) who rules by fear. Check out history sometime. Will fewer people die in this war than would have died in a civil war? No way to know. Probably, civil wars are always the nastiest.

Is it a good sign that people in Iraq are apparently happy to be out from under the rule of Hussein? Yes, it means that, although we may not have done the best thing, we did not do the worst thing.

This is not the first time the US has acted in a questionable way in regards to the use of power. I'm afraid it will not be the last. But, in truth, any use of power should be questioned. It is by questioning that power that you retain your most basic freedoms.

There is ample evidence already that Saddams government was sponsoring terrorists. I hate that no one in his country was able to stop him. I hate that the UN was unable to apply the pressure needed to force him to be human. I hate that Americans are dying in an effort to correct the problem. But that changes nothing. The troops are there. They are doing their best. Their cause is worthy. Freeing a people from a tyrant is always a worthy cause.

Does the Bush administration have a hidden agenda? The whole world is watching with a magnifying glass. I doubt they could pull it off. Our government has very rarely been that good. Even under substantially better leadership.

There is a message being sent in a way that is unmistakable. Play nice. There are bigger dogs in the yard than you. And if you want to follow a way of life that includes terrorism. You will find that your country does not fit in the modern world.

There are threats to life on this planet that make these petty squabbles irrelevant. We are talking about the continued existence of the race as a whole. Viruses don't give a damn what color your skin is, a comet is just a big bullet and if anything that breeds fast develops a taste for corn or wheat or soy we are screwed. If we work together we MIGHT survive the next hundred years. If we keep practicing intolerance and terror we don't stand a chance.

No the USA is NOT perfect. Not even close. But we honestly TRY to be, I believe. We need the help and guidance of cooler heads. We tend to ignore arbitration and admonishment. We tend to happily accept help and assistance and recommendations. England's Tony Blair figured that out. That's why they are there with us.

We KNOW we're not perfect (despite what you might hear). Reminding us of that will not endear you too us. Tell us HOW to be perfect. Better yet, Show Us! Set a working example to follow. Our entire history and government is an amalgamation of other country's ideas that have been proven to work.

Anyway, that's my long-winded 2p as usual. Congrats if you got this far. Peace to you and yours and may whichever god you pray to bless you.