all the world needs is...

i had the television on a talkshow this morning while i was preparing to start my day. it was interrupted to broadcast a press conference about the attacks to london's public transportation system.

the UK officials giving the press conference didn't have much information to give. no confirmations of how many people had been killed or injured. at that point, nobody had claimed responsibility for the bombings. they seemed to be speaking to let everyone know that they were investigating what had happened; they were taking care of their injured; they were working to get everything back to normal.

i check the internet for more news and read that some al-qaeda related group has taken responsibility on their website. i read testimonies from people who were in the middle of the blasts. their perspectives. their stories piecing together a vivid image of what has happened.

returning to my television, the coverage cuts between the press conference and images of the attacks. people bandaged. people on stretchers. people being ushered away. there is a pit in my stomach as i watch the confusion and the shock on their faces. then cut to world leaders who offer their condolences. it is a tragedy that all of these people have died and been injured in the bombings. they are largely innocent.

president bush appears on the screen to condemn the attacks. to talk about the "evil" in the hearts of those who kill.

the pit in my stomach deepens. killing is wrong. of course. but we can't absolve ourselves, can we? we're killing people in iraq and afghanistan. we're killing their people and they are killing ours (i'm including england here, as they are our allies). killing begets more killing. and it's never good.

i am scared, not for my own safety, but because i realize there is no end in sight. we can't just pull out of afghanistan and iraq now. their infrastructure is in shambles and, yes, there are still terrorist cells. but our military presence and aggressiveness serves to further infuriate the enemies we've made.

i'm no policy expert, but i feel like there has to be another way. a way that doesn't have so much to do with tanks and bombs.

in the meantime, my prayers are with the people in london.

@>-->>---