Originally posted by Agerg
[b]But calling what he did 'misplaced bravery' is both wrong and an insult to him, and everyone who
did as he did throughout history which won us the freedoms we have today.
I disagree...I'd prefer he didn't get the sh** kicked out of him and silently carried on failing to believe in gods so long as it was dangerous to do so loudly. Yes people have cert ...[text shortened]... t you say, and what's more I will never defend to the death your right to say it[/i][/b]
"I want you to remember that no b*****d ever won a war by dying for his country.
He won it by making the other poor, dumb b*****d die for his country."
George C. Scott in 'Patton'.
I don't believe in dying for a cause either... However some people will always land up
dying for a cause who never intended to do so.
I believe in fighting (non-violently where possible) for your beliefs and freedoms.
I don't believe in dying for them.
However it has to be said that people dying for a cause, whether they intended to or not,
is frequently the greatest recruiter and motivator for those that come after and win the
battle that that earlier person died for.
Which is one reason I argue that terrorists should be treated like the criminals they are,
and get a fair trial, followed by life in prison (with
extremely limited and moderated outside
contact to prevent them running terror cells from inside prison).
I don't think creating martyrs is a good idea.
There is a truism that if you have 200 protesters, and you round them all up and shoot them, then
you don't now have 0 protesters, you don't have 200 protesters... you have something like 2000...