Thursday October 12, 2006

I've Been Thinking:

Michael Leighton Phillips, a United States citizen with a conscience, is one lucky man.

Phillips followed his heart and went to the Palestinian Authority to volunteer - to help out.
He thought that because he was there to do good, he would be safe.
And then, in the city of Nablus, he was kidnapped.

Everyone was surprised by the kidnapping.
And that's because everyone - Phillips and local Palestinians - fell prey to the same fallacy: Just because you and members of your group would never even think of kidnapping as a way of enhancing your cause, it does not mean that others think as you do.

Terrorists will do anything to achieve their goals - up to and including kidnapping and killing and lying. They stop only if they think the action hurts their goal, not helps it.

Michael Leighton Phillips is lucky because he was freed.