Idiotarians on Parade

Still not much submarine news, so I thought I'd link to this really funny guest column on the Fort Wayne News Sentinel web site. Amber Mahaffey is clearly a very idealistic person who has no idea of how the world really works. Here are some of the more hilarious quotes:

"What makes a person so desperate that they will blow themselves up to hurt others? What creates terrorism? The occupation of a country pops up repeatedly, such as the occupations of Iraq and Palestine. It makes sense to me. No matter if they were right or wrong, if someone stomped on our land, how would we react? I do not even like Bush and his cronies, and I know I would become a “freedom fighter.” Perhaps if we un-occupy these countries, we will have fewer problems. But it is not that simple.
"Ending occupations, although a big step, is not all we can do, because love is what really leads to peace. With no enemy, there is no one to fight. With nothing to fight for, there is no foundation for terrorism...
Through violence, you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. If we asked the people of the world where to find the last terrorist, would the majority say that America was the real enemy of peace? No wonder we are hiding behind our defensive might."

I'm glad we live in a country where Amber Mahaffey is free to hold such simplistic views, and I am equally free to mock and belittle her. Many otherwise sane people I've known have held such views, at least until they get laughed at during a freshman year bull session (high school, not college), or until they run out of weed, whichever comes first. Publishing humor columns like this may serve a good purpose in getting the vast majority of the readers to recognize that such views are idiotic, but I fear that it may also lead our enemies to question our commitment; they've been brought up in societies where only items with official sanction are published, and likely do not understand what a "free press" really means.