Focus 580; Open Line: Discussion of 9/11 and WILLs coverage of related issues

The events of last weekend to try to help us all figure out what they mean. And I really have to credit my producers because it's been a mad scramble from one day to the next. To find guests and there were plenty of days where one day we were looking at the next day and we weren't really sure what we were doing. So we tried to do this in different sorts of ways and it sort of feels like that for you know for the last more than 10 days that's the only thing that we've talked about. Next week we will be doing some other things but we will also be doing some programs that are intended to try to discuss these issues and I'm sure a long long time now one way or another will be talking about what happened last week and why and what it means. So but this perhaps could be an opportunity and people have actually done and I'm really pleased that people have on some of the focus programs we've done have called in and shared their thoughts and feelings and and asked questions. And sometimes you know sometimes agreed with guests sometimes really take an issue with guests which is good. And that's that's really what this show is all about. But not really quite so

much as a completely open forum as this. So it's a bit of an accident but occasionally we do that in and sometimes turns out actually to be to work very well because it is an opportunity for you to to talk. If you have questions comments about certainly about the coverage about the way we've approached this. If there are particular points of view perspectives individuals that you think you would like to hear you'd like to have us explore. We're open to suggestions of course we always are but particularly now. Of course the thing that we try to say is that particularly if there's if there's a particular person that you would like to hear from be able to talk to. That's not always possible although we we certainly try because many people lie just for one reason or another can't can't give us an hour of their time at this time of the day. But we certainly will try. And we're always willing. There are my producers have always said Well I'll make the call

sheet you tell me who you'd like me to call make the call and we'll see what happens. So it's certainly we're very much open to suggestions about what. Kinds of conversations that we can have on the show. But certain but also it can be an opportunity here for you to express your own thoughts about. What happened what it meant to you. And and where we go from here. Essential so it can be completely wide open. The numbers are same as always here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5. Also we do have that toll free line. That one's good anywhere that you can hear us around Illinois or Indiana it would be a long distance call. That's the number to use and that is eight hundred to 2 2 9 4 5 5. So again three three three. W y l l

and toll free 800 to 2 to W while and we have some folks here calling in Will gets get everybody lined up. We'll take them in the order that they came in and we will of course take just as many people as we possibly can in the time that we have. Well start out here I've got somebody on a cell phone here in our line number one. Hello yes hello yes I do. Great concerns about the rhetoric going to around right now trying to protect and preserve the integrity and the respect for the Islamic faith. The problem that I have is probably best under written by an American air Arabian girl who spoke about persecution now and I'm certainly not in favor of that. One of the things that you said to someone I think gave a politically correct line about their religion teaches peace. Her response was chilling.

She said yes our religion teaches us to respect those who respect us. That is such a thing. Credible value whereas Christianity though people don't always live up to it teaches that we should love our enemies. Islam teaches that you should not love your enemies but you should in fact do something about anyone who doesn't respect you. So when she said that her religion teaches them to respect those who respect them. The final conclusion as to who is respecting you and who is not is left subjectively up to the Islamic followers. It's this attitude that is the flaws of this entire problem. If you're going to want to thanks. Yeah and I guess I can. Not being Muslim I can only you know hear what you what you're reporting and say that I'm not sure how to react to that. And I would only leave it to somebody who was Muslim to tell me whether they thought that was an appropriate

reading of what Islam stands for or not. You know I agree with that. But I've been listening to and really studying this lamp from outside for a long long time. And even the best of it has I kind of doubt we are right everybody else wrong attitude. And even if they're willing to live unless they generally speaking are only willing to do that in countries where they are not in the majority now it doesn't take very much of a rocket scientist to look around the world and find out what is going on in terms of civil rights and religious freedom in slamming a dominated country. The answer to that is simply there is no Islamic country where there is true religious freedom. Even in Egypt with one of the oldest Christian community seven million Coptic Christians they have come under fire. People are actually converting to Islam not because they think it's the truth but because they can't do business in their own homeland.

This is something we would not tolerate here to happen even to the Islamic people. But it's one of those things it's a Catch 22 religion that when you give religious freedom to it given the opportunity it will take religious freedom from everyone else. That one you can. Are you well. Well again I guess I have no I have no basis to evaluate the statement one way or another. I don't know. There may indeed people be people listening that will want to take issue with that. I guess my only comment would be as I am not sure that if to take your characterization that this people of this faith say I'm right and everybody else is wrong. I'm not so sure anybody has the corner on that market. There are Christians who would say I'm right and everybody else is wrong. You know they're everybody when they go to war thinks that God's on their side. And I think that we just have to be rather careful and too in the kind of pronouncements we're

making in such a sweeping way about. Face like Islam where so many people practice at so many different places around the world and have different sort of approaches to it. I guess that's why I would I guess I would just say that I feel that we need to be very careful about how we talk about this. Everyone feels the need to be very careful now about that. But there is you know the Christian sects who think they're right and everybody else is wrong are blowing up each other's building. The problem we have here is that somehow we have an entire civilization following the mentality that in a place like this puts them on the defensive and in a place where they're in control put them on the off and I'm not in favor of persecuting Islamic people. I really have not. I think I believe in freedom of religion and I don't believe that we should target Arabs or Afghanis or anyone because of where they came from or for that matter there are many Christian Palestinians I would hate

to see them persecuted just because they happen to be Palestinian rather than anything else. I don't want to see them persecuted because they're Islamic. But I want to make a statement at least that's heard and thank you for letting me be heard. But the problem the problem is just that there's a few radical terrorists out there a problem and we're going to have to wake up and look at it. One of these days is it going to bite us hard. Again the problem is that we are going to a world conflict with an entire religious ideology that they. Even the best you can and mom on here to defend is faith I will guarantee you he will not tell you what is being preached in the pulpit of his lap around the world. He will tell you what he wants you to hear to put his religion the best light but there is a there is a nother truth and we are all hiding very carefully. Try not to offend anybody. We don't want to talk about it. I think it needs to be discussed carefully but I think we're playing a politically correct game and what I'm hearing is not

true. What I heard from your Arabian girl. That's true. We respect those we're taught by religion to respect those who respect us. Period. Well I guess some other people to talk about. I'm interested in saying what anybody else has to say and how they might react to your comments so I appreciate your call. Well I'm listening with every every. Need it. All right thank you very much. Well let me just again explain what we're doing here this morning as part of focus 580 an impromptu open line we had been planning on having a conversation with Benjamin Barber. He is the author of a number of books has written a lot about politics and political thought and he was one of those people that I think President Clinton really had respect and admiration for and had an opportunity to spend some time in the White House circle and in fact he's got a new book out that is a memoir of some of his experiences in there which is titled The Truth of power intellectual affairs in the Clinton White House but we're also going to be talking about something else that he wrote about in a book published was published in 1905

and in fact grew out of an article that he wrote for The Atlantic magazine that was published in 1982 which looked at the conflict that he saw in the world between forces that he called tribalism and globalism and unfortunately didn't work out to do it where we had thought. And so we're going to see if we get that show rescheduled for another day but I I know that there are a lot of folks who have a lot of things on their mind. So we thought maybe we just take this opportunity to open things up and give you a chance to say whatever you do you've got to say here in Champaign-Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 2 2 2 9 4 5 5 will go to Lafayette Indiana here line number four. Hello. Hello. For taking my call I. I guess my comment or question is sort of switching gears from what the previous caller had mentioned about ideology and so forth and I guess what I'm a little concerned with is when I look at

the case as it's being presented by the administration and by the other world leaders I don't necessarily consider that the TAL upon request for evidence or proof that Osama bin Laden is behind this conspiracy is that incredibly outrageous or unreasonable. Granted I am not going to be as an apologist for the Taliban leadership but have this been just a simple extradition hearing of some kind. I would have presumed that if we were to have an extradition from even one of our allies that some degree of evidence. Need to be presented. Maybe that has been the case but we haven't really seen a whole lot of direct linkage to Osama bin Laden and for something as large as conspiracy there is that there is traditionally a burden of proof. I think for example back to when the man went on the interstate killing spree at the synagogues and went then went down to

Bloomington. The name Matthew Hale came up. And yet you know the conspiracy to Matthew Hale was never really proven. Now Matthew Hale as an individual is certainly at least as Shady a character if not well certainly not as shady perhaps as Osama bin Laden but that necessarily rise to the burden of proof. And I guess I'm not saying that we shouldn't pursue this I just think that at least in as far as public opinion not only in the United States but in the world I think we should still consider that proof. If civilization is indeed under attack that we need to at least consider that. Well it's certainly seems that the administration thinks they can make the case. Maybe they can't make the case today but I guess the question is are they willing to wait to take action to the point where they feel they actually can make the case. Right. And I hope that they have this evidence and I think given the level of the

stakes involved that. The public is entitled to it. Some of the some of that information I know a lot of people will say for example that to reveal some of the the evidence might be endangering the lives of others and I can certainly respect that. However I know that some of the investigation has involved the seizure of assets and bank records which you know that's pretty well-known that those seizures have taken place. I don't think that the paper trail for example is necessarily going to jeopardize any people on the ground. And if if some of that were revealed I'd be a little less skeptical and I'm still I suppose given the you know given the CA the state of affairs of the FBI in the last year losing the hard drives of weapons not turning over documents I'm I'm not so sure I want to reinstate full trust automatically to do that to the organization and I guess that's all. That's all I should say I have to get beat up for

saying that. No they're not well and it seems it seems to be the case that the administration is thinking that the most. Most of the American people will their patience only goes to a certain point and that at certain point they're going to expect the administration to do something. And there I guess is yet another question. How many people would be willing to say OK we'll wait until there is conclusive evidence you can make the case that this person is responsible. And I don't have an answer. I'm only saying that that's a that's a question I don't have and I put you in an impossible position I suppose. But well again I prefer I much appreciate your comments. Thank you. We'll come back here to someone locally answers line to when it's Urbana and oh yes I'm calling because I want to know what they had. What does that mean are they a group of people. What does anybody know. No listening audience no.

Well I'm not I am not an expert on this. Jihad is an Arabic word and it means holy war. That's the way that I have most often seen it translated. Now I would have to leave this to an expert on the history of the Middle East or the history of Islam to explain further exactly what that means but it does not. Now there are various kinds of groups that have incorporated that word into their into the name of their group. But if that's what it it is it does not refer to a specific doesn't refer to a specific person or persons. How do you spell that. J I H A D. J. Now you write and I'm sure that if you you know you could you could go to the Encyclopedia Britannica or you know some kind of general source I suppose and

see what what it would say what you think it was like. It means holy war. That's that is my understanding of what it means. In a sort of a very blunt kind of literal way but I'm sure that there are shadings of meaning that are more that are more delicate and nuanced than that and I would have to leave that to somebody who truly was an expert to be to be able to answer a question like that I hope somebody calls answers rapture. Thank you. All right we'll go here to line three. This is also Urbana Hello. Yes I was going to close but I think I have to say something about the first caller's comment. Yes. I don't presume to speak for Islam but I think when examined this long history and from the 7th century of our time to at least the early part of the century

Islam were far more tolerant of civilizations than were Western civilization. When Spain. That is Spain were typical. We went through this and we were accepted and honored and protected. Throughout most of that period Christians and Muslims lived in harmony in the Middle East except when we intervened of course with our consent. They haven't been perfect and I'm afraid we haven't been through all of the terror and it's related to events that have been taking place. And with that quite a few in this country I'm afraid I have to say that the maturity of them were perpetrated by members of our more fundamentalist Christian religious groups.

If you think most of them were actually. Directed at abortion clinics and such. And I'm certainly not going to harm them for Christian fundamentalism because that is not typical anymore than the events of the past. Better than a week ago now was typical of this forum. Well I think it's fair to say on yesterday we had this conversation with Martin Marty who is a very well-known religious historian who was part of an a multi-year study involving a lot of people looking at religious fundamentalism or as he would say maybe more correct fundamentalisms because it's not just one thing and I think that he would say that it was the case in every case that fundamentalism or fundamentalists were not typical of the faith from which they come. That they were particularly the most extreme were a minority view in in every case aspect the word jihad.

Yes please. It is exactly as you find it except it can also be used figuratively. And it's very much like our word crusades except the fanatical writings are exactly in verse for that. People as we hear the word concept the jihad crusade in the Middle East. The stores were open longer in the middle right. Actually the two groups are very similar and more of the computer room. I think we have to think about that. Well I said well thanks. Thanks for the comment on that I think that that that helps. Thank you were already at our midpoint here this morning we weren't able to do the program that we had planned. These things do indeed

happen. Sometimes we make our plans and then sometimes things go right. We are planning on talking with Benjamin Barber and we hope to do that perhaps next week. Occasionally there are confusions and communication and we set up these programs sometimes I think you know the fact that we do 10 interviews every week and that most of the time things work the way they're supposed to. That rather amazes me actually. So we thought well this would be a good opportunity just open up the phone lines and encourage you to say whatever is on your mind what are you thinking about right now. And also as far as what we do here goes if there are particular ways that you would like us to try to approach this certain kinds of perspectives that you're not hearing certain kinds of people that you would like to hear from certain kinds of background for example and not very long ago it seemed that people who were listening really said they needed to know more about Afghanistan.

So we tried to do that and I expect we'll probably be talking more about that in the future so whatever's on your mind. 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 2 2 2 9 4 5 5. By the way I'd like to mention as if there are people who are curious about Islam. And what Muslims think and what they don't and how people here in our community who are Muslim are reacting to the events of the last 10 days. There will be an open house including special prayers and an informational discussion session at the central Illinois mosque and Islamic center will be taking place this weekend on Sunday afternoon between 1:00 and 3:00. And the the mosque an Islamic center is located at 1 0 6 south of Lincoln in Urbana and they say anyone is invited. So people are certainly people of goodwill and

Fellow of all faiths are welcome to come together and if you're interested in stopping by and talking with folks there. I think that you should certainly feel welcome they they say in the release about this event they say as we all try to work our way back to some kind of normalcy we at the central Illinois mosque and Islamic center are inviting the university administrators faculty clergy and general community to. Through this open house there is the invitation again Sunday afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 at the central Illinois mosque and Islamic center. We have other folks here listening we just continue to give them a chance to speak. Aurora line number one. Hello. Yeah I call very Hazza Tenley. You say you said something about speaking about what is on your mind and these are issues that are on my mind. Why did the

CIA even though being told three weeks ago that something like this might happen. They didn't say exactly but they gave us a warning. Why didn't why weren't we more aware of this or were they aware but they didn't find what these people were talking about. Say what would happen. And the other thing I don't understand since this building was already bombed what was it in 95. Why wasn't there an alarm system. Some of those people didn't know. I mean they were frantic and they ran but I sometimes I began to think to do other tall buildings have a lot of systems that go off until everybody automatically evacuated. And then the last thing I thought about after Bush's speech last night. Will this divide the world into two parts.

And that's I you know I don't know if there are any answers for anything I said but this is what has been going on in my mind. Thank you so much. Well thanks. Certainly. The first question the caller raises certainly is an important one and I know that people and all over the country are asking that question and there are going to be hearings in Congress looking at that very question why we didn't have more warning of this. So I expected it would be something that there would be a lot more discussion in the future of the second question I think is is an interesting one I guess now I would expect that anyone who works in a high rise office building or lives in a building like that has now thought about this. What do they do. If there's some kind of emergency and they have to get people out of the building and. That's a question that I honestly again don't know. Maybe the most difficult and the biggest question is the third. And again I don't know. Other folks are welcome to reflect. We

certainly encourage that and we have time for you know to get in a number of other callers so call us and share what's what you're thinking about 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 that's where Champaign-Urbana toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. We have someone calling from Edgar County there the next line number two. Yeah I don't know about anybody else but last night was the best night sleep I've had since September 11th. And I think our president last night was resolute but he was also reassuring. And I think the best line from the speech was something to the effect that these times will not define our country but our country will be fine its times. And one other thing that surprised me after the attacks. I didn't feel like prey which really surprised me. I just had no desire I had a feeling like gee

you know what's the use. Is anybody listening. You know I thought of prayer worked maybe this incident would not happen in the first place. Well that's another way some of the one of those things is there for people of faith when you have a crisis. What what does it mean. I don't know I know that certainly a lot of people seem to have drawn consolation from their faith. But you know maybe there will be some people who will say that their their faith was shaken. And I wouldn't I wouldn't blame him for feeling that way. So your and your feeling on that score hasn't Would you have thought that you were a particularly religious person before. Not necessarily but you know on occasion I do pray and. But it was something totally unexpected. You know sure I went through the whole gamut of emotions that I'm sure most people did but this was something that really caught me off guard and I found myself you know with with really no desire to even try to communicate you know to pray so I don't know if anybody else experienced have it anyway thanks

thank you for taking the call. Well thanks for the call we appreciate it. I'll just keep on going adds Urbana next line number three. Hello I'm actually calling and response to a couple of questions that are often argued in this program. Yes I am a Muslim so I'm not going to scholar but I just wanted to go with a couple of things. Yes. One think is war jihad where Jihad is and that a big chord is known as you know the Florida straw man and I've been at the Clark College you know that which means struggle. Now this jihad is basically means the struggle now and this struggle has much project meaning stand a lot of this struggle means struggle. In writing struggled with speech struggled with odd commands and struggle as well. So like it has much broader meaning like for example if somebody to say is that I want to do

jihad that would also include the struggle with speech writing article man's discussion and those kind of things so I think the jihad is much more a broader term than just one word longer or wholly lost to death is one. My one comment on the word jihad. And the second thing is about tolerance and Islam I think one of the callers actually very eloquently described are told about them with themselves behave throughout their history and they have been found to be much more tolerant. So but we can look at the actual different US facts. One let me make a little background. Every Muslim it doesn't matter whether you belong to us in the sect are a Shia sect agree on two things

that the teachings from the book which is crime and affront the teachings and life of the prophet. From the life of the prophet. But what we understand from tolerance is that Prophet and his companions were forced to mix it from the top to Medina. When prophet concurred there were all those people who had committed atrocities in the past on him and his companions. But when you conquered Mecca he told two of his fighters who were with him that they do not kill any animals do not damage any planned do not kill law men are children and do not kill any man who does not come. And in time to fight torch you so and there are cards without any fight and later on you forgive

all those people one by one they came in front of him and he forgive all those people who had committed all different kinds of atrocities and forced him and his companions to leave the place. The second. So this is just one part from the life of Prophet. The second fact is from the history. I like that part is actually very nice to describe and the person who called and that is that. Throughout the history we see that Muslims have ruled areas that are majority of other religions as well. If we just go out of the Middle East let's say in subcontinent Muslims ruled for more than 100 years and still if you see the whole of the whole of the subcontinent the more people from other religions than from Islam.

So Muslims are still a minority even after some 100 years of rule. Now coming to us the tolerance today. In most of the comic I have no experience about other countries but I am basically from Pakistan so I can tell about experience that I have seen over there but never did it. Something that people have sentiments against let's say America and other countries did not at all directed towards Christians. While they can simply say that's OK in America because the majority of Christians and distant things happened so this also is a fault of the Christian south because there are more Christians that live in America than any other religion. But this now or happens I had to name while I was living in Pakistan who were Christians and at a very good time with them actually

doing Christmas are at ease who used to exchange gifts and and not at all and I used to play with the kids and my parents now would stop me and difference that was not so it was a worry much like you would find a neighborhood relationship for him for president. I grew up so I cannot comment. A lot is the situation in other parts of the ward. But I can at least tell about what I found. I'm not going back there again. Well I certainly appreciate your calling and adding your thoughts and also to help again clarify the meaning of the word jihad. I'd appreciate it very much thank you. We have it here I should just say that we have about 10 minutes left in this part of focus 580. We have a number of callers and we'll try to get as many people as we can we just

launched this morning into an impromptu open line just because the program that we had planned didn't quite work out. But we hope to get back to that topic. And I'm sure that. One way or another we'll be talking about these issues for a long time to come and we'll try to give you many. Opportunities to do that here on the show with various kinds of guests and as also as I said were open to suggestions about guests and topics and strategies. People can make that suggestion by phone but of course you you know you can always drop us a note. Send us a postcard send us an email call the listener comment line. You know what have you. Well trying go on and talk with some other folks here and I think our next caller would be in. Shaved champagne I think line number one. Hello. Oh yes I was wondering I didn't hear all the comments of the previous caller but I wanted to to make a comment on the term jihad.

I'm not sure how how much explain that I apologize a little bit but I'm sure I'm sure you can add to our understanding by by going and you know telling us more and I get basically what what that the two callers had had been trying to suggest is that there are a number of shades of meaning here and that as it is generally in my experience gets translated as something like holy war. I think the callers were trying to point out that it has meanings that are more metaphorical and that it's much. It doesn't just mean a war it can mean a war but it can also mean a struggle that would be. An intellectual struggle or maybe a spiritual struggle. So that's it. That's what it is. It doesn't necessarily mean hand to hand combat although I guess it can add whatever you like. Yeah well what I wanted to say was that if you look at it added the term jihad from a chronic perspective it really is translated literally more so as struggle or striving more so than war. And in fact when you look at the text and

says that the higher jihad is the jihad of the spirit the heart of the mind. And unfortunately you know we have some of these fanatical Muslims running around in a comic taking the term just like this. One of the previous callers said you know you we were you take the term Crusade and you have the two meanings that you could have you could have the war and you can have like a crusade of an issue a crusade of a social agenda. It's the same thing with Jihad and the Jihad was supposed to primarily designate the personal struggle you find a lot in the esoteric aspect of Islam known to Sufism where the jihad is always about one striving to get one step closer to a law or to the Creator. And and I just think it's important for people to know that because once again I don't think we should allow the fanatical Muslims to basically define the term. Of what we're trying to deal with here. I think we have to you know on one hand you know respect the history of what they're angry about I mean you know because I think that you know

in certain ways the struggle between Islam and the West is a thousand years old and it is coming in many different forms and I think that's one thing people don't understand they kind of look at what happened in New York as this very singular action is just like no you know people have been kind of irate. You know at least since the 50s at least since you know we have the CIA getting involved in Iran and and the overthrow of Muslim back and you know there's all kinds of things that have gone on in terms of a power struggle. But you know just getting back to the term Jihad and other terms that people will hear I think during this time I think it's important for people to really educate themselves about what Islam really means and what these terms because you have this post you like a beautiful thing is not supposed to be this term and we say OK we'll commit jihad upon you you know that's more like a childish kind of pedantic kind of reactionary use of the word which is this is really not the ultimate designation for what is supposed to mean and that's all you say thanks so much. Well I appreciate that you're adding your comments because that certainly my understanding was no I realize

rather superficial. So I'm glad to have the this. I'm glad to have that explanation. Oh it's my pleasure We appreciate it. Let's go to Bloomington number four. Hello Martin. Yes sorry Martin. Crusade I'm glad that Bush is not using that anymore. Apparently he didn't understand that the word Crusade itself comes from the same root word of crouse which is the Christian Christian symbols. Well I did not know that. Well tell you something that I didn't know that's what. That's where the word came from. Something else has been bothering me early on. Bush was talking about that his administration's going to fight and eradicate evil. He was talking about evil and equating that with what has taken place I certainly agree

that that was evil but eradicating evil is going to take an awful long time. The religions of the world have been trying to do that for thousands of years and haven't done it yet. Now Bush is talking about his administration doing the same. Eradicating this. And that on the other hand particularly if the predicate does. There is no way that he could tie the hands of any successor or of cadence. So what is he saying is you planning on becoming president for life. Well I think you point to a real dilemma and that is that the administration has and that he has over promising no matter whatever is their promise I mean even if we set aside the term evil even if we look at his promise to eradicate terrorism I'd say that that's I wouldn't make a promise like that and I don't think

any anybody could anybody could fulfill it. I think it has. I guess I think he has to be careful what sort of expectations he raises and in people's minds and be realistic about what can and can't be achieved. So I mean I guess I agree with you know I don't think I don't believe his administration or any administration is going to eradicate evil from the face of the earth and so I think that's why one has to be so careful about the kind of language that you know you use I think when one is moved to extremes of rhetoric and by by the by the stress and the passion of the moment. But I think maybe in part you're suggesting is you know watch what you promise. Well thank you very much. And thank you. Let's go on to Ana. This is lie number one. Southern Illinois hello. Yes yes hello. I wanted to make a comment on exactly where you're saying on the current story that Mr. Bush is missing which is pretty unclear on

sometimes you know like talking to people who are acting you know rushing on man a kid that you are with a terrorist or you are with us. What does that mean. I would leave that one. I'm not aware that I am not always because we have we are not doing the right thing to the role. So are you. You know I like your comment. Well I hear what you're saying there doesn't it seems to be very hard to find what is there some third way here for people who say of course this was a terrible act that it was that it was wrong that nothing could justify it. And at the same time then then what do you do. And I think that there are probably some even though opinion polls that you know say that 80 percent or something of Americans

are backing what the president is talking about doing. I think that there are some people that are really afraid of what's likely to be. Happen and really worried about not knowing what the right thing to do is. And it seems that it's hard to for people like that to know where exactly to go where to place themselves. As I'm sure that you know you feel that you're a good American and that you you know believe in this country and the things that it stands for. But at the same time it sounds like you're really struggling to use that word we've talked about here this morning with what the right thing to do is and that you don't know and I don't know. It's very hard to you know to talk about it in a way that was obviously it's the president's job part of the president's job to assure people and to look like he's in control. But I don't know I guess personally I'm I'm worried

I'm worried about what's going to happen. I worried about what this country's going to do and and how it's all going to play out in this in the future. So I guess I'm I'm not I don't know if that's a very good answer to the question as you posed but you know I don't think that you're the I don't think that you're the only person that feels that that you're really not sure what to feel. He was not given trouble he says you are with the terrorist or you are with us one or the other. I don't like even a way that we are or they are acting. I think I have the choice to say that I'm not from America and I have the channel to say how I feel and ought not to have somebody to tell me. No that's not so. You know that we are America and we are going to kill a little more. We're not going to football games. Well you certainly have the right to say how you feel and I guess I would think

that you know one thing that it would be more important then than ever at a time like this if people have very strong feelings about what's the right thing to do. That they be in touch with their representatives in Congress in Washington their congressmen their senators and tell them what they think. I think that this if any time that it was there was important this is now the time for everyone no matter what it is that they think whether they think. You know whether they think we should go to war with or that we should not go to war in a whatever for them really to be heard will go through or give what their band of guys that is hiding in the cave. You know Fred Graham is down we think if we don't know if he's ducking the No. And then we are putting all of the people on wow not gonna front and Bangor and I'm very good to day out and what what what I don't know what I want to say right.

But with me is the one the only. Well you know I appreciate your comments and I'm afraid we're going to have to stop here right for right now because the enemy and we've used the time and we have some other people here that we can't take. But we're going to continue as I say talking about this various ways with guests we may have some more time to do some more open line and certainly I wouldn't always encourage you as you're listening to the show to call in with your comments if you agree with the guest if you disagree with the guest whatever that you need to make your self heard and I think I want to say thanks very much to all the folks who called in to contribute their thoughts.