The problem with extreamists is that they polarize everything. That goes for suicide bombers, religous fanatics of all flavors, and those who are too blinded by fear and anger to think about cause and effect.

Let's try a metaphor:

Somebody punches you in the face... would you just stand there?

Me neither. I'de also like to add that I'm a very slow runner, therefor my response begins with breaking their knee, some intermediary scuffling, then kicking them on the ground for a couple of minutes as a finale.

But what are the chances of that ending there? It really depends. Either the guy will leave me along for fear of another whoopin' or will come back later with friends. My bets are on number two, it's basic human nature to want to get even.

So sure, our cultures and relgeons vary, but deep down inside, we're all the same critter responding to the same instincts. World War One began with the assassination of one world leader, it hasn't ended yet. Am I lost in the 20's? Delusional? Smoking crack in between bass riffs? No.

World War One ended very sloppily. Germany was crushed, morally, economicly, and militarily. The people felt lost and betrayed. Waiting to find somebody to point their fingers at. In steps Adolph Hitler with one hell of a speach a direction for the people to point their fingers.

Now keep in mind that at this point in time virtually all of the Mid East and Africa is under colonial rule. This basicly means that local goods and raw materials are taken from the land, brought back to England or France, processed, sold, and the profits stay with the governing nation. England had learned well from the American Revolution and no longer allows much in the way of local governments. This means no native political infrastructure.

So World War Two breaks out- Japan, disatisfied with their spoils from World War One now sides with the Axis powers. Germany invades nation after nation, and begins the Holocaust. First Ghettos, second camps, finally mass killings. Also, due to it's alegance with Italy, Germany takes over large portions of the Mid East and northern Africa while fighting with the Brittish.

At World War Two's end, millions more people had died, national boundaries have been redrawn again, the cold war has begun, yet more colonies have swapped hands, and now the Zionist movement has greatly increased support from all over the world.

The seeds for most of today's Mid East conflicts are now sewn.

England and other colonial powers suddenly pull out of these nations, leaving power vacumes, depleated resources, and great resentment towards the west in general.

It should also be noted that up until the 60s or so, the US was held in high regard by most Muslim nations: We seemed to be the one western power who "got" them and had never been a colonial power. However, some policy changes that left Arab nations in cold changed that perspective to what it is today.

So where am I going with all of this?

Yes we have to strike back at the people who did this. We MUST defend ourselves and our familes from terrorism. We are facing an evil that is an affront anda discrace to ALL people, yet is partially our creation.

So we strike at the knees to remove our attacker's mobility, we attack their ribs and solarplexus to remove their ability to breath, and we kick them on the ground to make sure they won't get up.

Then we make DAMN sure that his friends see just what an ASSHOLE that guy was being so that they leave us alone, take him home, sober him up, and SLAP HIM AGAIN FOR BEING AN ASSHOLE.

As I have said time and time again, if we do nothing to address the reasons why people turn to terrorism, then we waste every bomb, every speach, and every lost life. 6,000 dead is quite enough for me.