# Fucking terrorists **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 11, 2001, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856 "2001-09-11T13:41:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/81 "2001-09-12T18:41:29Z")
Don’t let a few facts get in your way, then. I just posted this in GD. Seems that they’ve been able to identify some of those terrorists on the planes. most [are Egypt/Saudi nationals](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/WTC_MAIN.html) . This is why I keep trying to get folks to slow down. We don’t know shit for certain yet. OUr best suspicions may be correct, however, until we **are** certain, we need to keep our heads. ---
**Author:** ![BickByro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@BickByro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BickByro)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/82 "2001-09-12T18:57:48Z")
**wring:** This will be a slight, err, hijack, but… I followed your link and found the following: > [@](#): > > The Boston Globe is reporting that a copy of the Koran, instructions on how to fly a commercial airplane and a fuel consumption calculator were found in a pair of bags meant for one of the hijacked flights that left from Logan. I know nobody seems in the mood for humor right now, but doesn’t anyone else find it at least droll that our airlines’ preternatural ability to lose luggage has finally paid off? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/83 "2001-09-12T18:58:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bluepony \* > **Where, in anywhere I posted, did the subject of _race_ come up? As Gobear said, my skin color and the slant of my eyes have nothing to do with how I approach this. Call off the old white, liberal, guilt please, among many of us Asians, this is becoming tiresome. My wife is 4th-generation Irish, I sometimes, lovingly, remind her of that. Promise, we won’t hold it against you! :rolleyes:** I don’t think it is white, liberal guilt, I just want someone to explain why the death of innocent Americans is a tragedy while the death of innocent Arabs is justice. There is something disgustingly vile in that train of thought. Call it racism or xenophobia or whatever, it is still wrong. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/84 "2001-09-12T19:13:45Z")
[sub] **Bick** I thought the same thing but you’re right, this is no time for levity[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/85 "2001-09-12T19:16:29Z")
It is the _terrorists_ I loathe, not the people of the countries from which they hail. All Muslims should not be be punished for the horrors of the few. Even the people celebrating in the streets of Palestine should not be targets because they have committed no crime against us. You can’t go around killing people simply because they don’t like you. People that have committed treason against your country and murdered innocent civilians are another matter altogether. But to kill children? Dear Lord, NO! What we SHOULD do is retaliate against the people responsible in a swift and convincing manner. That much we can agree on. And, of course, try to prevent this from happening in the future. As far as assassinations, I heard on NPR this morning that Gerald Ford signed an executive order forbidding assassinations. (Perhaps in response to Allende?) Anyway, the commentator said he was pretty sure that the only thing necessary to reverse the policy was for President Bush to pass another executive order rescinding the first. ---
**Author:** ![Bluepony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Bluepony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluepony)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/86 "2001-09-12T19:22:23Z")
\*\* [/QUOTE] I don’t think it is white, liberal guilt, I just want someone to explain why the death of innocent Americans is a tragedy while the death of innocent Arabs is justice. There is something disgustingly vile in that train of thought. Call it racism or xenophobia or whatever, it is still wrong. \*\* [/QUOTE] Fine, Dr. Lao, you go your way and I’ll go mine. I don’t think we’ll see eye to eye. Frankly, I don’t give a flyin’ shit. When Kabul, Khartoum, Baghdad, and other cities start to burn, I won’t shed one fucking tear. My family will live, my friends will live, my neighbors will live and that’s all that counts. Oh yeah, maybe in the course of the actions our country will carry out in the future, it might even guarantee that you may live to be a ripe old age instead of being blown 85 stories out of an exploding building with a nice hard sidewalk to break your death-dive. I might even pop a beer open for that, but don’t hold your fuckin’ breath. ---
**Author:** ![Tokiwoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@Tokiwoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tokiwoki)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/87 "2001-09-12T20:29:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tony \* > Just incinerate the whole Middle-allahcocksucking-east. Women, invalids, and children. Just for celebrating the way they did, they ought to taste the hot metal of incoming nuclear warhead. And I don’t give a shit if the whole world gets nuked as a chain reaction and we cease to be. Be it the fuck so. This shit can’t go unpunished. And I’m not talking about fair trial bullshit where we execute some motherfuckers who wind up becoming martyrs. I’m talking about torture, cutting off the nuts and feeding it to their children type shit. What’s wrong with you? You’re making yourself sound like a sick fuck. How can you come up with these hateful feelings after seeing a few seconds of video footage? Don’t wish death upon people, and don’t ever fucking wish death upon a child. You’re being as hateful as they are. ---
**Author:** ![Miaowara\_Tomokato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Miaowara\_Tomokato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miaowara_Tomokato)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/88 "2001-09-12T20:49:01Z")
First off, I’m short on sleep. I kept seeing the video of the 737 into the second tower. I kept seeing the images of the trapped leaping to their deaths. I kept seeing a lot of things. I’m short on sleep. It’s important to win. There’s a way to win that loses. We must not win that way. What was attacked was not just our people, our property. What was attacked was our way of doing things. Can we scorch the earth until it yields up the guilty? Of course. Can we bomb, torture, starve, kill any that will bring us closer to the guilty? Of course. But we must not. This must be a victory of our way over their way. If we win by doing what they’d do only better, we will have lost. We must avoid harm to non-combatants, because they would not. We must take them, but we must not become like them. We must not prove them right in what they think of us. You may think that we could not make them right in what they think of us, but there are weapons in the arsenal that could do just that. We are all of us in pain, now. That pain will go on for a long time, make no mistake. We must bring those responsible for this heinous act before the world at whatever expense. Go ahead. Raise my taxes. I’ve already called the recruiter (sadly, I’m too old - even though I’m a several-thousand-hour helicopter pilot - Change the rules, punk!). As much as I would enjoy torturing them to a slow death, yet we must not. For that is their way. It must not become ours. This event can, some day, advance the cause of civilization all over the world. Or it can assure that we do not deserve to survive. The choice is ours, and I don’t think the easy one is right. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/89 "2001-09-12T20:50:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bluepony \* > **Fine, Dr. Lao, you go your way and I’ll go mine. I don’t think we’ll see eye to eye. Frankly, I don’t give a flyin’ shit. When Kabul, Khartoum, Baghdad, and other cities start to burn, I won’t shed one fucking tear. My family will live, my friends will live, my neighbors will live and that’s all that counts.** Can you even imagine that the people who live in those cities have friends, families, and loved ones who wish no ill will toward anyone and only want to live their lives in peace? Why do you want to destroy that? Because of what some people who look like them did? > [@](#): > > \*\*Oh yeah, maybe in the course of the actions our country will carry out in the future, it might even guarantee that you may live to be a ripe old age instead of being blown 85 stories out of an exploding building with a nice hard sidewalk to break your death-dive. > > I might even pop a beer open for that, but don’t hold your fuckin’ breath. \*\* :rolleyes: I personally think that our country has little to fear from the old women and young children in the mideast. Killing them will not insure anyones freedom. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/90 "2001-09-12T20:58:11Z")
Oh, and I’d like to point out the irony of **Bluepony** considering a celebratory beer in honor of my death while we are talking about a tradegy which was celebrated, to the condemnation of all right thinking people, by Palestinian in the West Bank. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/91 "2001-09-12T21:03:42Z")
I think you’re both wrong. **Bluepony** is being too bloodthirsty. I understand and support his desire to punish the masterminds of this filthy act, but a wholesale slaughter of innocent civilians to no purpose except bloody revenge would be counter-productive. By all means, let’s find and destroy the beasts that sent the hijackers, but let’s use our heads, too. {b]Dr. Lao[/b[, you, on theother hand, are being too weak. You would let murderers go unpunished for fear of bystanders getting caught in the crossfire. We should minimize casualties if we can, but we can’t let the guilty get away free. When we bombed Germany and Japan we killed civilians, but we did it to prevent a vastly darker future. If we followed your advice, **Dr. Lao,** the murderers would rule and the civilized would live in fear. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Carpenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Mr\_Carpenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Carpenter)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/92 "2001-09-12T21:06:36Z")
There are lots of Bin Laden’s over seas and here at home. Hatred is everywhere. We need to get rid of all the people who hate and act on their hate, be they radicals, extremists, terrorists or racists. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/93 "2001-09-12T21:06:40Z")
I think you’re both wrong. **Bluepony** is being too bloodthirsty. I understand and support his desire to punish the masterminds of this filthy act, but a wholesale slaughter of innocent civilians to no purpose except bloody revenge would be counter-productive. By all means, let’s find and destroy the beasts that sent the hijackers, but let’s use our heads, too. **Dr. Lao** , you, on the other hand, are being too weak. You would let murderers go unpunished for fear of bystanders getting caught in the crossfire. We should minimize casualties if we can, but we can’t let the guilty get away free. When we bombed Germany and Japan we killed civilians, but we did it to prevent a vastly darker future. If we followed your advice, **Dr. Lao** , the murderers would rule and the civilized would live in fear. There has to be a middle way betwen the tiger and the sheep. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/94 "2001-09-12T21:18:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > **Dr. Lao, you, on the other hand, are being too weak. You would let murderers go unpunished for fear of bystanders getting caught in the crossfire. We should minimize casualties if we can, but we can’t let the guilty get away free. When we bombed Germany and Japan we killed civilians, but we did it to prevent a vastly darker future. > If we followed your advice, Dr. Lao, the murderers would rule and the civilized would live in fear.** I’m not necessarily saying that all civilian causilties should be avoided at all costs. I’m saying that we should not target civilians. I don’t think bombing Kabul until Afganistan gives up Bin Laden will be an effective or moral strategy. We did strategic bombing during WWII and guess what? It didn’t work. Targeting civilians will strengthen, not weaken, the resolve of the fighting man. Especially if the soldier is already willing to lay down his life to win. ---
**Author:** ![Bluepony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Bluepony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluepony)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/95 "2001-09-12T21:19:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bluepony \* > > Oh yeah, maybe in the course of the actions our country will carry out in the future, it might even guarantee that you may live to be a ripe old age instead of being blown 85 stories out of an exploding building with a nice hard sidewalk to break your death-dive. > > I might even pop a beer open for that, but don’t hold your fuckin’ breath. \*\* Hmmm…now where in this am I celebrating your death Dr. Lao? Let me paraphrase if I’m going too fast. The…USgovernment…might…take…steps…to…prevent…further…terrorism…towards… Americans…like…yourself…sparing…you…a…horrible…death…like…what …happened…in…World Trade Center…(get it? 85 stories?)… (Full Stop) (Start another idea or point) I…may…drink…celebratory…drink…on…your…continued… life…but…that…might…be…a…waste…of…a…perfectly…good…beer. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/96 "2001-09-12T21:37:36Z")
**Bluepony** , thanks for clarifying, but please don’t be a dick about it. I also found your original beer statement to be unclear. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Carpenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Mr\_Carpenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Carpenter)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/97 "2001-09-13T02:55:24Z")
\Gobear,\ there is no easy way to go about getting justice for these horrendous acts, because when we do strike back at them, they are going to strike back at us very hard too. I think this is what they have been waiting for. These radicals don’t care if they are going to die or not. But the civilians here in this country and overseas have the same fears and sadness we do. We don’t want innocent people killed and maimed here, and we shouldn’t want them killed and maimed over there. So how would YOU go about justice w/o killing innocents? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2001, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856/98 "2001-09-13T04:03:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr Carpenter \* > \*\*There are lots of Bin Laden’s over seas and here at home. Hatred is everywhere. We need to get rid of all the people who hate and act on their hate, be they radicals, extremists, terrorists or racists. \*\* Tom Leher moment: > [@](#): > > I’m sure we all agree that we ought to love one another and I know there are people in the world that do not love their fellow human beings and I hate people like that! Fenris [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-terrorists/80856.md?page=4)