1. Why is it that feminists will look the other way when it comes to Islamic extremism? They carp about Roe v. Wade being overturned, which would only send the abortion issue back to the states, yet say nothing about women in Islamic nations being forced to live under true oppression -- no education, no voting rights, no work, burkas as required attire, "honor" killings, rape as tribal court punishment, and genital mutiliation.

And the gays in this nation complain about not being able to marry, while gays in Islamic nations are put to death.

Don't they have any sympathy for those trapped in Islamic regimes? Or do they hate Bush too much to care?

Posted by: MES on January 28, 2006 06:21 PM

2. As a feminist extremist, all I care about are my reproductive rights, not anyone else's.

These views are the same left extremist views of the Cindy Sheehan's that call suicide bombers that kill innocent men, women, and children freedom fighters.
"If fire fighters fight fire, then what do freedom fighters fight?"
~George Carlin~

Posted by: Jason Woodruff on January 28, 2006 06:51 PM

3. Democracy is a funny thing. The Palestinian had two choices: 1. Murdering genocidal evil corrupt Fatah or 2. Murdering genocidal evil non-corrupt Hamas.

The Palestinians chose the lesser of two evils out personal interests. Does that make Hamas good, acceptable or legitimate? NO!

The Palestinians have been trained for a hundred years to hate Jews. Unless there is a turn around in the Hamas end game - the destruction of the nation Israel - Palestine is doomed to suffer. An armed Palestinian legitimate government will not be able to stand against Israel, no how strong the hate grows.

Posted by: Theway2k on January 28, 2006 06:56 PM

4. Democracy is a funny thing. The Palestinian had two choices: 1. Murdering genocidal evil corrupt Fatah or 2. Murdering genocidal evil non-corrupt Hamas.

The Palestinians chose the lesser of two evils out personal interests. Does that make Hamas good, acceptable or legitimate? NO!

The Palestinians have been trained for a hundred years to hate Jews. Unless there is a turn around in the Hamas end game - the destruction of the nation Israel - Palestine is doomed to suffer. An armed Palestinian legitimate government will not be able to stand against Israel, no how strong the hate grows.

Posted by: Theway2k on January 28, 2006 06:56 PM

5. What gets me - is that the entire world knows both Palestinian (cough) "parties" are evil terrorists! Why on earth would ANYONE try to put a "positive" spin on either of them?

The Arab world doesn't even like them! The Palestinians were the ones to celebrate in the streets when we were attacked on 9/11!

I say - let's completely choke off their US funding (we shouldn't be giving them squat!) - and watch how their culture changes. It gets expensive teaching their children to hate Jews and Americans....That would have to stop... Weapons and bullets can cost a bundle - especially when they fire them into the air in celebration with every negative news report about America and Israel....Imagine how many kids will be saved when their parents can no longer afford to send them out as suicide bombers!....

It may take a generation....but they can change...or die...

Posted by: Deborah on January 28, 2006 08:01 PM

6. I'll give Hamas the benefit of the doubt...

Till the first bomber.

Deborah, I never figured out why we supported the Palestinians as long as they conducted terror operations. Especially post 9/11.

Posted by: JCM on January 28, 2006 09:34 PM

7. Huh? What do you mean gender apartheid is not acceptable to the Seattle Times.

It's been going on in our state for at least 20 years. Look at the war the public (re)education system is conducting on boys.

Posted by: BananaLand on January 28, 2006 11:09 PM

8. I think most are missing the author's point. The United States government is in the business of exporting Democracy to the world... at gunpoint if necessary. How ironic would it be, then, to hear our leaders deriding the democratic election of Hamas? The author, in my opinion, is attempting to point out this fact in his editorial. We can see this if we look close enough:

Palestinian voters were not crazy when they roughly replaced the long-ruling Fatah Party with the militant group Hamas. In the finest democratic tradition, they threw the arrogant, thieving rascals out.

By all accounts, the election was open, honest and fair. More than 70 percent of eligible voters turned out to get rid of the regime associated with graft, corruption and lawlessness in Palestinian towns. In a universal application of "all politics is local," Palestinians voted in an alternative that has opened schools and medical clinics in the midst of chaos.

...

Grant Hamas the benefit of the doubt. That is the inherent optimism of diplomacy. A cautious, incredulous world community must help Palestinians get the most out of its embrace of democracy.

The author notes that the election was legitimate, therefore the U.S. government must respect it. We don't have to like it, but we have to respect it. Besides, Palestinians didn't so much vote in Hamas as they voted out the Fatah Party. The people exercised their power of the ballot box and now they've got what the majority wanted. The author is merely saying that we need to respect the will of the Palestinian people by letting Hamas attempt to serve them. Before the election, Hamas were answerable only to themselves. Now, they're answerable to all Palestinians. Posted by: Current Observations on January 29, 2006 07:44 AM

9. Give War a chance!

The Arabs and Islamic Fascists will not change. The societies that gave birth and fostered these evil philosophes will not reject them. Those societies must be destroyed. Mekka delenda est!

Posted by: Not a Yank on January 29, 2006 08:20 AM

10. I am just waiting for Israel to do something. Hamas does not believe that Israel has the right to exist. However, Israel has to capability of making Palestine nonexistent. I personally believe that the only thing that has been holding them back is the United States. That may now change.

Posted by: Gil on January 29, 2006 09:37 AM

11. Actually, many women grieve for our Muslim sisters around the world. Oprah (that uber-liberal that I'm sure many conservatives dislike) has had show after show about women and children in these countries. And, she has opened eyes and raised money to help them. I don't care if my Arab sisters want to wear a veil, as long as they receive education similiar to boys, as long as they are not chattel, as long as they are not physically abused or repressed with no legal rights. Interestingly, Islam is not the same the world over (as Christianity isn't either) so I don't know whether it's Islam or culture or both.

Lastly, right or wrong, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Hamas shouldn't be taken seriously until they act like leaders (which they now are), do more of what they got voted in for (education and social services that the Palestians so desperately need) and turn away from the violence. Israel needs to acknowledge them and they need to accept Israel and they BOTH need to think about their children and grandchildren. Nothing will change until they do.

Posted by: westello on January 29, 2006 10:35 AM

12. You say, "right or wrong, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."
This is like saying that one man's dog is another man's duck, or one man's turd is another man's breath mint.

Your discernment is sharp as ever.
It guides all of your comments.

Posted by: Amused by liberals on January 29, 2006 11:08 AM

13. Oh, I forgot, Oprah has done a few shows about oppression of women in other countries (While she is suffering herself)
While she is only talking about it on a talkshow for housewives, our republican leadership is actually doing something about it, by forcefully giving these oppressed women the rights they deserve. We could bring up discussion about all these human rights violations until we are blue in the face, but until we actually take up arms against the oppressors, we are nothing more than apathetic.

Posted by: Jason Woodruff on January 29, 2006 11:21 AM

14. And when Hamas re-starts it's terrorist attacks on Israel again, the Times will no doubt blame Israel!

Posted by: John425 on January 30, 2006 07:46 AM

15. I agree it's time for the Palestinian aid to stop. If their people want to elect Hamas as their leaders, that's their business, but we should not be funding it.

On the other side, it's about time to cut the cord with Israel as well. With the amount of money we send there every year, they might as well be a 51st state. Let them know that we back them militarily if anyone were to invade (although they are quite capable of defending themselves), but sending billions of dollars there every year when we have funding problems here at home is not good government.

Posted by: Palouse on January 30, 2006 08:19 AM

16. So the next time someone affiliated with Hamas acts on their beliefs and sets off another suicide bomb in Israel, how should Israel (and the rest of the world) interpret that action? Should it viewed as an attack by an independent terrorist group or an attack by the Palestinian nation?

Hamas may be in power now in Palestine, but they better be darn careful not to mess with the Lion of Judah.

Posted by: Gary on January 30, 2006 03:01 PM

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