[whitequeen96]

God, and you know much of that money will be converted into weapons to terrorize their own people! There is also a very real danger that it will be used to harm us thru terroristic acts.

I had a friend who is an Afghani. His English was not the best, but I gathered that his father was something like a governor in his territory (probably a warlord). This was an intelligent, educated, sophisticated man! He went to the University of Kabul, and was actually one of the first newscasters on the first televised news programs in Afghanistan. Then the Russians came in. After years of fighting them, he finally ended up in the refugee camps of Pakistan, and finally ended up here. I could see how the local Afghani community respected him, so I believe his story. His heart was broken with all the things going on in his country back then, and now it is even worse! I guess the reason I bring this up is that so many people see Afghani people or others, in their different clothing and different lifestyle, as truly different from us! "Surely they're used to tragedy." But they're not. I remember one young man staggering out of the line of refugees fleeing the battles in Kosovo, and mourning the fact that he had to carry his grandmother and leave his laptop computer behind! The Iraquis were not a religious society; their women had jobs (many as doctors) and they went to PIZZAHOT(!!) after work! Now they are reduced to living in misery. We are lucky to be safe here, and I hope we can keep it that way, and I pray for peace in our world.

OK, I know you're thinking that I must have "hoisted a glass." But I haven't; I'm just sad about the state of the world at this time.