[Shotimes] OT: Beheading

[Noah South III]

Don't do that Don.  If for any reason, letting this be that serious is
letting the people that did that win.  They want people to talk about it,
they want people to be angry, and they want people to be upset.  So just
don't be.  I'm not trying to lessen it; I just think there's a better way to
understand the things that happened.  There are much worse things that go on
everyday in this world than what happened here.  I watched the video and it
didn't even get my heart rate up.  But that's just because I've seen MUCH
worse.  That's not to say I haven't been enraged in the past over seeing
certain acts of torture, I've just desensitized myself.  It's not a pretty
thing, but it IS just that, a thing.  One thing.  One of MANY things that
have happened that are bad, but not the end of the world.  At least not for
you, or I.  Sadly it was the end of the world for that man, and a pretty
painful and psychologically traumatizing way to go.  It's ok to feel bad for
things like that happening; I'm not saying it isn't.  But don't let it take
you down much more.

Even in the face of something as painful and sinister as that, if you can
smile, they can never win.  They can never succeed in what they do, and in
that alone, that man's death is less in vain.  It gives less importance to
whatever cause they might have been trying to further.

Some people have always wondered why I can find humor in everything, maybe
now they'll know.  It's not disrespect, but rather the opposite.  I want to
lift the pain, and the best method is humor.  We can all laugh, and we enjoy
doing so.

There was this video that floated around the net several years ago, I'm sure
some of you came across it.  It was an Amnesty International released video.
Some Czech "rebel"(should read terrorist) groups were capturing Americans
and then ransoming them for money to buy guns and other weapons.  A couple
of these videos showed the outright torture of these men.  One man had his
finger cut off, another had his shot off.  One of the particular videos was
of a captured Russian soldier and it showed him having his throat cut and
then subsequently beheaded.  It wasn't the video that got me, it was the
audio, you could hear the gurgling and the pain and the last gasps of air.
I felt that one.  I was so angry and upset about seeing that.  That one
person would do such a thing to another.  Cause that much pain
intentionally, just to get some money, or send a message about an opinion
they had.  I think I stewed on that for over a week.  I couldn't quit
thinking about it.  Then I realized that was what those who made that video
in the first place wanted those who watched the video to do.  Ironically the
anger enabled my calm.  I couldn't let them win, not for something like
that, not for anything.  I wasn't upset, but I did resolve that if in some
fashion I were given the opportunity to hunt down these individuals, I would
gladly take the offer.  It's not something I expect, but it IS what I felt
behind all the anger.  These people know not what they do, but I would be
glad to show them.

Never let the anger or the hate take you.  That's giving in and nothing good
can come of it.

The reality of this whole situation is that the majority of the people in
this country and other well developed parts of the world never had a clue
that such things like this actually occurred.  They thought everything was
happy and safe in their own bubbles.  This made front page news, everyone
jumped online and watched this video and were astonished, disgusted,
enraged, or any one of a myriad of other emotional extremes.  This is
something new to a lot of people, but to the world as a whole, it's happened
since the beginning of mankind.  This became a big deal because it was a
first for many people.  We shouldn't wait until it's so common place that
people are apathetic to such things, but instead stand our ground now and
dismiss their actions as futile and weak.  There are things that can and
should change you as a person, and I would not let this be one of them.  I
won't let them hold such a power over me.


You can't really do anything about it.  You can't bring the killers to
justice and you can't take away the pain this man's family now feels.  But
what you can do is smile, and show them that their ideas and their methods
do not work.  You can tell them they are wrong, but you can do so not with
disgust behind your eyes, but with confidence and resolve.


-Noah South III

"Politician, Preacher, or Motivational Speaker.  You decide."


> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
> On Behalf Of Donald Mallinson
> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 11:39 AM
> To: shotimes@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] OT: Beheading
> 
> After I sent the reply below (edited to it doesn't get
> worse), I realized that it might not be appropriate for the
> seriousness of the original topic.
> 
> Should have changed the topic name.  Trying to put some
> humor where maybe it doesn't belong.
> 
> Sorry if anyone thought it inappropriate.
> 
> Don Mallinson
> 
> Donald Mallinson wrote:
> 
> > Mark,
> >
> > REALLY!  I haven't put underwear on my head and danced since I quit
> > drinking real beer.     (Etc.)
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