why?

the state of the world in which we live:

i get to school and take my final in nonverbal communication. then, as usual i came into the arts & sciences computer lab to waste time before my history of mass comm class starts at 11:00 am. so after messing around a bit on the usuall websites, i happened to come across some information about the bombs that went off in london. so as night falls on england tonight, at least 33 households are going to turn off their lights without everyone home...and an immeasureable number of people will go to sleep knowing that they will never again hear the sound of a loved one's voice or the touch of their skin.

of course its easy for me to sit here in my cushioned chair in front of a computer (1 of about 50 in this lab), in the heartland of a country that **knock on wood** faces no imminent threats of attack. i know that i will more than likely never understand the feeling of hopelessness that comes from living under tyranny and oppression; nor will i experience the utter joy of escaping it to a life of relative freedom. but i do know that i am thankful for everything that i have been blessed with simply for being conceived in this amazing country. however, i also understand that with such great blessings comes great responsibilities.

anyone who truly knows me understands that i might not agree with the actions of my political leaders at all times; and i don't think they expect any of us to do so. but as an american, i do strongly believe that we have an obligation to utilize our resources in an effort to help raise the other nations of the world up to our level in terms of economic wealth and the wealth of freedom. i'm not at all advocating the position that certain cultures are "less than" my culture, so please don't get me wrong. what i'm trying to explain is my view that everyone should be at a level playing field in terms of freedom of opportunities, expression, thought, action, etc.

and that is what our country does, or at least what we attempt to do. and no matter how often i might moan about the differences in opinion i have with our president, it is completely ignorant of anyone to say that what he is doing in the middle east right now is purely for the economic gain of the united states. to digress for a minute, let me say that sure, we're mature enough to admit that there might be some sort of kickback if we ultimately direct the iraqi's to a democratic society, free of these insurgents and set to make it's mark on the world economy. but, i'm sorry, did certain people forget that it is the united states who has lost 90% of the coalition's 1,934 casualties? so what if we gain better access to trade in that region? if everything straightens itself out according to coalition plan, then i, for one, believe that we do deserve some sort of restitution for the lives of our lost men and women.

now to get back to the original intent of my post. the handiwork that occurred today in london has reportedly been claimed by "the secret organization of the al-qaida in europe." in the letter this group posted on an Arab-language website, they rejoice in today's events and praise those who completed the task as "heroic." how can someone actually call these acts of terror heroic when the leaders of the 'group of 8' industrialized nations are sitting approximately 250 miles northwest of them discussing what can be done to find an end to the slaughter, starvation, and rampant spread of aids throughout africa as well as how to address the global problem of climate change. it is absolute hypocrisy and yet there are millions around the world who are celebrating this so-called victory for the people of the middle east.

but the real victor will be discovered come tomorrow. residents of london will wake up and continue mourning over this national tragedy. the men at the G8 summit will roll out of bed with grumbles of the level of heightened security and the hassles this will face them when they return from the meeting. members of al-qaida cells will continue the celebration through the night only to awake with the realization that since the british are'nt going to pull out of the coalition, they will need to focus on the next attack; this means more money spent, more insurgents lives lost, and more time that coalition forces will remain in the region. who would be your vote for the winner of this one?

the answer...
is all of the above. because all of them will wake up. of course there were lives lost in the blasts, however that number does not look to exceed 100-probably not even 50. but in the bustling cities, charming farm towns, and remote villages of africa, the average number of people who will not see tomorrow is in the thousands. in south africa alone, 21.5% of the population is infected with hiv; and as high as that might sound, there are 4 other countries with higher infection rates. this is where the battle must be fought.

"no i won't cry on the outside, anymore."