At what point will the Israeli government truly realize it cannot win over Hamas or Hizbollah through diplomatic means? Trading land or prisoners has never won Israel a peace with it's neighbors, yet they continue to utilize this failed policy. Relying on the "world community" to defend them is the equivalent to having a few drinks and letting Ted Kennedy give you a ride home. Pure lunacy and suicide.

 This morning I read an article about a "Human Rights" activist claiming that the "Palestinians" aren't being treated as human beings by the Israelis. This accusation seems to be one of those that gets used often without any thought into what it means. It is often used to bring attention to what the accuser wants to have the focus at the moment. It often disregards the event or events that led to the present situation in the first place. It also tends to ignore actions that would de-legitimate the accusation. Example: A person on death row gets to reap the benefits of anti-death penalty activists and becomes their token to the world. The victims of this condemned man are placed in the background or thrown out all together. Although the execution cannot bring back the lives of the victims, the condemned has shown his disdain for life and has ceded the rights to his own. And yes, I have every right to judge a man's actions.

 Samson lives among us. It is my belief that the nation of Israel is among us to be a constant reminder of the Almighty and the power he has. This belief is what leads me to great melancholy when I see how Israel has conducted itself recently. For whatever reason it has made me remember the story of Samson.

Despite all the rhetoric and political games being conducted, there will not be peace in the Middle East. To all of you who believe in "peace at any price" and "the absence of war is peace", poppycock! The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be resolved without a major war and the annihilation of one of the people. Diplomats who place their heads in the clouds and the hearts in the bank are only delaying the fact not changing it. This may be considered a defeatist attitude or worse. So be it. In reality, it is reality.

 While driving into work this morning I was listening to Mr. Bill Bennett taking phone calls on the recent event in Blacksburg. The main topic of discussion was the actions and perceived inaction's of Mr. Liviu Librescu and his students. In the last few days I have learned that Mr. Librescu was an holocaust survivor and has been a lecturer in mathematics, engineering science, and mechanics. When I first learned that He was a holocaust survivor all I could think about was the irony of the situation. He had survived one of the most atrocious events in human history only to be killed by a psychotic young man.

Some of the calls that Mr. Bennett was taking derided the response of the students. To summarize, people expected these young people to charge head on against the maniac. This may make good movies but is unbelievable in real life. A young person, no matter how macho they try to portray themselves, lacks experience and knowledge to respond to this type of situation the way these people expected. On the other hand Mr. Librescu, having survived a situation of possible death, responded in the manner of a Courageous, Honorable Man.

Mr. Librescu is a true man, and not just any man. He is a Good Man. The word hero gets used so often today for trivial matters that the meaning of the word has been diluted to a point of comedy. Mr. Librescu did what is inherent in true men, he defended and did his best to protect those in his charge. He was the authority and leader in the classroom. To abdicate that responsibility in this situation would have been beyond cowardly. In his formative years Mr. Librescu would have seen firsthand the sacrifice made by others in order to protect him. The older people within the death camps would have done what they could to keep him as safe as possible. He probably also saw the cowards who would sacrifice others to save their own skin. The disdain that the cowards would have received during enslavement and after release would have been a lesson that the majority of people would never have to experience. Mr. Librescu learned what true courage and honor is.

It is inherent among the male of our species to protect and defend. Despite the modern day metrosexual, there are still men walking this planet that will defend the weaker among us. Not through words or vacuous self promoting actions. There are men that will place themselves between the victim and danger. There are men who will sacrifice their lives so that others may live. These men do not seek this out. They don't look to be heroes or praised by the public. They are men that go about their daily lives looking after their families and friends. They are the men we see every day. They may be the men that are ridiculed for their old fashioned way of looking at life.

As I mentioned, expecting the students to charge the gunman was unrealistic and only happens in Hollywood. The students in that classroom did exactly has they should have, they listened to the voice of experience and the leader of the group. They followed the instructions of a Man that took the lead and lived up to his responsibility. They submitted themselves to the will of a man who was willing to sacrifice himself so that they may have a future. These students will now carry this with them for the rest of their lives. What I want to see is what type of people these students become. What sacrifices will they give in the future.

The students of Mr. Librescu's class did exactly as they should and have nothing to be ashamed of. With the evil that was walking through that building, G-d showed his hand. It carried more power and strength than semi-automatic weapons. It protected life as opposed to taking it. G-d acted through Mr. Liviu Librescu. G-d put a man on display for others to see and emulate. The light in the darkness.

When reading of Mr. Librescu the first thing to come to my mind was the poem IF by Rudyard Kipling.

 Samson Blinded has started a new web based news service titled:

 "Mashaal's ultimate goal is to take over the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and become the next Yasser Arafat and become the supreme Palestinian leader," the official said. The official added that Mashaal's attempt to turn into a pragmatist was part of a "devious plot" and that he had not really abandoned his radical anti-Israel views.

Israel is the homeland of G-d's chosen people. This is what I believe. This belief is founded in my faith of the accuracy of the Bible. To many people this would be a weak basis for a belief. Due to my experiences my belief has been strengthened. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, have provided me with needed answers when times have gotten hard. It has provided me with with much needed insight of the human condition. It has given me discipline as well as compassion. It has provided me with pride as well as humility. This inspired word of G-d, which I believe it is, has kept me from the pit falls of life. There are no words to describe the affect the Bible has had on me. The Bible has made my life easier and better. Being left to my own resources I would have given up a long time ago.

The 15 Brits have been returned home. I am happy for the families that have been reunited with their children. However, I believe that Britain just took it on the chin. The appearance of these hostages made it to the television set too fast. I don't know what threats were made if any but I have a hard time believing that trained military individuals apparently just gave in to the enemy. I will not label these people as cowards because I do not know what they were being told. Though, why they would believe what they may have been told is beyond me.