Perfect Soldiers

There is a book that has been recently released called:

"Perfect Soldiers: The 9/11 hijackers...who they were and why they did it".

It was written by a man named Terry McDermott, a journalist for the Los Angeles times. It's an interesting account of the 19 hijackers and their backgrounds. In many ways, the book is both sympathetic and empathetic to the hijackers and their cause, and Mr. McDermott has the right to portray them any way he sees. In particular, what I wanted to talk about was the section of the book that discussed adolescent Muslim males - 14 and 15 year olds - who live in places like Paris and London for example, who have gone to Iraq to take up arms with the insurgencies against Western interests. According to the book, hundreds - if not thousands - of these kids have done so.

I have a 14 year old who is a sophomore in High School. He is an excellent student (3.98 GPA) and an outstanding athlete. He is acutely aware of the stereotypes of both academics (presumed geeks) and athletes (presumed morons), and he works hard personally and socially to dispel these myths in his own little section of the world. He is extremely fashion conscious (Aeropostale, Hollister, fitted ball caps on backwards, etc), being aware of the tightrope he's walking as a true athlete/scholar. Along the same lines, he shy's away from academic awards and pursuits, although he does intend to be nominated for the National Honor Society this year. He understands the value that has for acceptance at some of the universities he has his eye on. He's a Type 1 diabetic, so I'm 100% sure he does not drink or use drugs, because as an insulin-dependent diabetic, you can't hide drug or alcohol usage. If you do it, you'll end up in the emergency room, and he knows that. So far he has not been admitted. I'm pretty sure he has probably kissed a girl - or at least held hands - but anything further hasn't happened yet. He still has just enough naivete in him to make me comfortable.

So you may ask, why am I describing my son? Hang on...I'm getting there.

My son's goals in life are as follows: Play sports; get great grades and SAT scores; go to the university of his choice to pursue his degree while continuing to play sports; and then move into the adult working world.

In Paris, young Muslim 14 year olds are packing their bags for Iraq so they can learn to car bomb and possibly even suicide bomb Western soldiers.

I look at my son and I try to envision him as a skilled murderer. I can't. It's both too bizarre and frightening at the same time to think there are thousands out there who have so much hate and anger, they would kill another human being before they'd even experienced their first love. But it's true. And this is our opposition.

It is said there are 1 Billion practicing Muslim's in the world. Let's say for the sake of debate that 99% of them are non-violent, law-abiding, good hearted people. That means that 1% of them are of the extremist nature. Quick now - do the math. What is 1% of one billion?

Correct....10 million.

Do I think there are 10 million extremists in the world right now? Not really...no. But 1% doesn't seem too far-fetched when you look at it that way either. Let's say it's 0.5%. That's what, 5 million extremists?

Regardless of your own personal stand on Iraq, Iran, Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn, the BTK killer in Wichita, or whether cow farts are causing global warming, you need to recognize there are a lot of people out there who aspire to nothing more than death and destruction, and it doesn't matter if George Bush or George of the Jungle is President. My 14 year old more than likely goes to bed at night thinking of the girl who sits to his right in English class. Ahmed goes to bed at night thinking of how many US Marines he can kill tomorrow.

But don't worry your little hearts out. As soon as we get some different people in office here in the U.S., all this will stop - right?

Peace