Remembering People We Knew. (and some we don't want to know)

Yesterday my wife and I remembered a guy we once knew who worked for a laundry/dry cleaners in Kansas City. He came to our house once a week to pick up laundry or cleaning and drop off the finished work he had picked up before. When we moved to a residence on the other side of town, he continued the delivery service to our office, which was closer to his business. Later we moved our office to a more distant location, but he continued the pickup and delivery service. What a nice man he was.

I noted that we had known a goodly number of nice people in our past. There was George, the waiter, who always knew what we liked to eat and how we wanted it prepared. Meals were so much more pleasant because of George.

I could name several more, but I hesitate because I know I would forget some.

These thoughts brought me back to my sincere belief that the world is absolutely full of good people. Recently I have formed the habit of hitting the "Next Blog" button after I visit my own or someone else's blog. Sure, there is some porn, and some kooky stuff, but as you randomly view blogs from around the world, you quickly discover that many blogs are just about families. Mothers bragging on their kids, kids talking about their friends. Good people all, from all around the world.

Sadly, however, there is a small per cent of the world's population that are not good people. Taught from early childhood that certain beliefs are not to be tolerated, these people place no value on human life - even their own. They will kill you just because you do not believe as they do.

Recently a reader wrote a letter to our local newspaper editor, stressing that we should face the insurgents in Iraq with love, education, jobs, etc. My immediate reaction was - sure go to Iraq and give them love, give them books, money, jobs, whatever you have to offer. They will take your valuables, behead you and throw your body into a ditch. That writer, like so many liberals, truly believe that the insurgents are people who have been deprived and want only to catch up.

No, those people have been taught little more than to hate you and to destroy you and your way of life. Their goal in life is to die and go to the promised paradise, while killing as many non-believers as possible in the process.

Does anyone believe we can reverse that? Not me!

Still, I continue to believe that the majority of the world's population are good people who love their families. They don't care if you subscribe to a different religion, or no religion. All they really want is to have a safer, healthier, happier life for their families.

So, what do we do about that small population of ideological radicals. Time to get tough folks. Time to get messy. Time to destroy them before they acquire the ability to destroy even more innocents.