So…What Are We Doing There, Exactly?

It seems so long ago, 9/11, and the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.

Over that long stretch of years, the Taliban has worked continuously to grow their influence there, especially during the time that military focus was on Iraq.

They are strong.
They bomb and hurt people, deliberately choosing civilians.
They make people afraid.

Fear is the control-choice of terrorists.

Elections are the opposite of fear: instead of curbing choices, offering them. Not telling people what they must do, but asking a people what they will do.

Elections are an example of control stemming from faith in freedom.

And so still now, as then, as so many places and times in history, it can reduce to a simple choice: will the world will be controlled by fear...or by faith in freedom?

Afghanistan is trying mightily to have elections, and the Taliban is increasing violence against those elections, and against those who will be trying to protect the people casting their votes.

Who will win? Or perhaps it should be worded, what will win? Fear? Or faith in free choice?

They are far, far from us, those bearded men in turbans walking to the polls, and their wives and children, and those running for political office. But our fate and theirs is linked in complex ways.

Our sons are over there, trying to help hold the fear at bay. The result of those elections, and the success or failure of Taliban violence at disrupting them, will feed or starve terrorism there and in other parts of the world.

Respect for survival of the fittest is ingrained in our human natures.

And in Afghanistan, respect for survival of the fittest may come down to respect for those who protected the elections…or respect for those who disrupted them.

How can we practice strength with restraint? How can we fight terrorism and not create fear?

From the webblog link below:

In his first day on the job, the new Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen outlined how he plans to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a "grand central station" of terrorism.

Rasmussen started with a pledge to ensure security for the upcoming elections.

Al Jazeera's James Bays illustrates the enormity of the task, after news of more violence in the country via a uTube video on this link: www.helmandblog.blogspot.com/

Please take a moment to click on the uTube dated Tuesday.

Thank you for checking in,
Katie