OT: Perspective

[2LeftCleats]

Not sure this is an appropriate forum for what follows. Mods--feel free to delete.

Just learned last night that the next hostage to be butchered by ISIS is Peter Kassig. This brings the tragedy close to home. He's a classmate of one of my sons. They were in the same classes from elementary through high school. They were on the cross country team together. Not best friends but went to one another's birthday parties, etc. We knew the parents when we lived in Indianapolis. He was abducted a year ago and for all we know he's already been murdered. It appears the beheadings are videotaped and released when ISIS suffers a defeat or other attack.

I just watched the video of the parents pleading for their son's return. Has to be one of the saddest things I've seen.

[ultraman6970]

Just curiosity, What this kid went to do to that hole?? vacations? work???

[1centaur]

One of the great burdens of life is how randomly unfair it seems to so many people at some time in their lives. How in all the universe could X have happened to me/my family/my friend/that poor stranger? It's difficult to be philosophical when the harm is so very specifically targeted that it feels there is a great force of ill fortune just waiting to spoil our brief time on earth.

My sympathy to you and all involved.

As for forum suitability, if we don't talk about the stuff we are not supposed to talk about, it's as reasonable as lots of OT subjects and exactly what we'd talk about at the coffee shop after a ride.

[2LeftCleats]

In answer to Ultraman: he was an Army Ranger in Iraq. After discharge went to Lebanon to provide humanitarian assistance. Started an NGO to help coordinate care in Syrian suffering from the upheavals there. While traveling he was abducted last Oct.

[Chris]

So sad. These scum deserve so much worse than anything they have ever meted out.

[eddief]

The corporate military industrial complex runs much of the show in the U.S. They own the politicians who send us into needless wars...where we almost always screw it up worse...at least during my lifetime. Voting is important. Don't vote for war mongers.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by eddief

The corporate military industrial complex runs much of the show in the U.S. They own the politicians who send us into needless wars...where we almost always screw it up worse...at least during my lifetime. Voting is important. Don't vote for war mongers.

I don't think this is the direction this thread needs to take. Let's keep the politics out of it please and just focus on the human tragedy here.

[93legendti]

Originally Posted by eddief

The corporate military industrial complex runs much of the show in the U.S. They own the politicians who send us into needless wars...where we almost always screw it up worse...at least during my lifetime. Voting is important. Don't vote for war mongers.

Back to reality - he was in Syria on his own to help refugees from Syria's civil war, as in the war between Assad and his own people:

"...After leaving the military, he trained as a medic and worked with Syrians affected by the country's devastating civil war. “We each get one life and that’s it,” Kassig told CNN in 2012. “This is what I was put here to do,” he added, referring to his aid work. “I guess I’m just a hopeless romantic and an idealist.”

To the OP, so so sorry about your son's friend,..truly horrible. I can't fathom how his parents, family, loved ones and friends must feel right now...

[eddief]

I got my wars confused. I did not know the details at the level you quoted them. Those make it all the more sad and painful.

Originally Posted by 93legendti

Back to reality - he was in Syria in his own to help refugees from Syria's civil war, as in the war between Assad and his own people:

"...After leaving the military, he trained as a medic and worked with Syrians affected by the country's devastating civil war. “We each get one life and that’s it,” Kassig told CNN in 2012. “This is what I was put here to do,” he added, referring to his aid work. “I guess I’m just a hopeless romantic and an idealist.”

To the OP, so so sorry about your son's friend,..truly horrible. I can't fathom how his parents, family, loved ones and friends must feel right now...

[vqdriver]

Omg. That is horrible. Each of these executions are horrible but I can't imagine it hitting so close. It's gotten to the point I can't read entire articles on the back stories and families. It's just too heartbreaking.

Awful awful stuff.

Originally Posted by 2LeftCleats

Not sure this is an appropriate forum for what follows. Mods--feel free to delete.

Just learned last night that the next hostage to be butchered by ISIS is Peter Kassig. This brings the tragedy close to home. He's a classmate of one of my sons. They were in the same classes from elementary through high school. They were on the cross country team together. Not best friends but went to one another's birthday parties, etc. We knew the parents when we lived in Indianapolis. He was abducted a year ago and for all we know he's already been murdered. It appears the beheadings are videotaped and released when ISIS suffers a defeat or other attack.

I just watched the video of the parents pleading for their son's return. Has to be one of the saddest things I've seen.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by eddief

The corporate military industrial complex runs much of the show in the U.S. They own the politicians who send us into needless wars...where we almost always screw it up worse...at least during my lifetime. Voting is important. Don't vote for war mongers.

The Civilian leadership seems to..

[Climb01742]

asking that politics not be included in a thread about ISIS is impossible.

[gasman]

I can't imagine the pain the family is feeling. If this thread stayed on this topic it would be fine but I don't see that being possible.