Reply #101: bemildred.....

[pelsar]

'm not suggesting that you not protect yourself or your kids. I'm
suggesting that a well-thought out desire to protect yourself and
your kids requires that you take an active interest in the welfare
of palestinians and their kids, and me and mine, and so on.

well, i would say in fact that I am very very interested in the palestenians kids welfare, far more than most of the world...since my kids will only have greater freedom and security when they do. And it is they which have the key to our future, far more than my kids.

But there is no such thing as "absolute rights" in anything in nature, everything has limitations. If you really want to get philisophical about true liberalism you'll find that absolute liberalism and rights doesnt work as it negates liberalism from even defending itself...but thats another argument. Absolute rights for all at all times do not exist, it may be the goal, and it my be intrinsic, but my reality on the ground dictates a very different philosophy to stay alive.

the point is, at present in this conflict is that when the palesteniains had greater freedom, we didnt. Now that we do, they dont. In past, it wasnt so extreme, and in the future I hope it wont, but reality is that those checkpoints continue to find bombs, hence my freedom is dependent upon those checkpoints and the palesteniains lack of it.

That said the environment is changing with more and more areas being given over to the palesteniains...as a group. And as a society it is up to them to keep themselves from attempting to limit my freedom...and which relates directly to theirs....as we are intertwined. (you may have to read that twice.....)

the world I live in is a very unfair world, we have no illusions about its "unfairness" over here. Black and white doesnt exist, as ones rights and freedom in one way or another affects some other group. (womens rights for instance tramples the rights of the extreme religious groups---or do they too have rights, the right to limit the freedom of "their women?. I didnt think so).

I am very aware of the intrinsic rights of every child.....life over here is just not that simple.