on the part of the human shields, for they are no better than the suicide bombers. It is not always the hero who gives his life for an idea or ideal. Altruism is often the mark of the fanatic...I have more sympathy for John Walker (the "American Taliblah") than I do for these misguided few.
Let me tell y'all a story bout the Crusades, the Children's Crusade to be specific... Seems back in 1212 CE, a buncha dudes in Europe deemed it a worthy cause to liberate the holy land from the Muslim invaders. Well, the priests, politicans, and military leaders, all those who inherited the power of the fallen Holy Roman Empire, set up the call for those who would serve their god by killing in another contry. We'll not argue morality or motivations here, tho.
So, all of these kids hear their elders going on an on, see the ships laden with Gods warriors heading out, and they decide to take up the banner themselves, for this must surely be path to right in Gods eyes. Now there are thousands of children lined up, and they charter several boats to take them to the Holy Land, so they may join God's war. They boarded the ships, set sail--and were never heard from again. Most were either sold into slavery or kept as pets by the ship crews.
The moral of the story -- whether not a cause is just, blind adherence and fanaticism to a goal or idea will blind you, bind you, and make you a tool.
I may not be happy with all that my country does, or how it does it all of the time, but I will not close my eyes to the fact that there are wolves just outside the door. I will not be lured by the temptations of false peace or freedom to drop my guard, nor will I be swayed or blinded by any would be oppressor.
Anybody remember when the job of Human shield was NOT something for which the human shield volunteered?
Each to his own, I guess...
Keith
P.S. For a conncise and quite well written summary of the Children's Crusade, check this out.
http://www.byu.edu/ipt/projects/middleages/LifeTimes/CHILD.html
It was written by a high school student, who would be just about the age of those 'crusaders'. He sums it up by calling it a "pathetic tribute to the grip that the Holy Land held on the imagination of Europeans and to the craze that the Crusades excited among all classes of the population"--He's got a good point.