Quotable
I highly recommend Guiness’ book for anyone that wants to think seriously about evil in our world today. This quotation jumped out at me because it really struck a chord with something I’ve been feeling about the violence that seems to be imbedded in the American psyche — going back to the founding of the nation, to the current time. Are we perhaps the most violent civilization the world has ever seen? 
“Abu Ghraib was a warning sign that, if not heeded, will not be the end of the story. The fatal combination of factors — America’s securing dominance through her own power, America’s always seeing her cause as virtuous because it is in the name of freedom, and America’s insistence that her citizens are above and beyond international review — can lead only to the arrogance that befalls all dominant powers, and then to further cruelty and evil, which is the outcome of such hypocrisy.”
Os Guinness, Unspeakable, p. 163
“Are we perhaps the most violent nation the world has ever seen?” No.
I mean, violence is wrong, but…I honestly believe that when this country was first founded, it was needed. The war right now…I think we just can’t leave yet. Maybe we could have done something better in the beginning, but the solution is not to leave. It may sound cheesy, and it may sound like I’m just taking Bush’s words, but I’m not. I believe a withdrawl from Iraq now would be defeat.
My concern now is that the Iraqi gov’t take some responsibility! Just because I dont’ want withdrawl, doesn’t mean this war is opened by any means. I know that we will reach a day where the Iraqis can stand up to Al Queda and other terrorist threats, but we’re not there yet.
So, I don’t believe we as America are too violent. I believe that the world we live in is too violent. It is a problem, and we need to work on it, but we look at the Middle East, look at their violence. America needs to be a city on a hill to the world, but we also need to help those in need.
I got way off your post topic. sorry.
Alex T.
May 9, 2007 at 4:39 pm