Under Their Thumb: the Lesson of United 93

It's been sometime since my last posting, due to computer problems, so I have several things on my mind. I will begin with the most recent impressions that arose last evening as my wife and I watched the movie, United 93.

First of all, I was struck by the incredible amount of confusion that existed on so many levels in government, from the FAA air traffic controllers to the military to the passengers themselves. But that was what made the terrorists' methods so ingenious. Their effectiveness was determined and rewarded (in their own minds), by that element of surprise.

The second lesson I observed was the transformation of the surviving passengers and crew members after the initial attact. Once they realized that they were spectators to and unwilling partners of a suicide mission they took decisive action. Their action deserves our unwavering honor, respect, and rememberance.

So, this is the lesson I take from this painful story:

1. The action of a brave few, who saved many more lives.
2. You cannot appease anyone, whose goal and purpose is to kill you even at the expense of their own life. Your reaction must be quick and decisive. This is not a matter of sending the bad boy to "time out". This is a matter of killing the bad boy before he kills you.

Do you want to know what life would be like living under the thumb of Islam?

I wish that it were possible to overstate how wretched that would be, but those who ignore history will find out.