Gun-Brutes

One of my co-workers just got back from a little road trip up north. In addition to seeing some awesome scenery, including the cliffs where the Buddhist statues used to be before the Taliban blew them up, he had the chance to meet some of the aid workers who are out there doing good deeds. His rather apt description of their view of us was, 'Gun-Brutes'. The fact that he travel armed was enough to destroy his credibilty (and some of his humanity) in their eyes. This in a country where ten-year-olds sometimes carry AKs, and warlords have personal fleets of working tanks to secure their opium production. I would suspect that certain people within my own circle of acquaintances might easily share the perspective of these earnest, hard-working people who are just trying to help this nation recover. I was once a Quaker, and I still call myself one, though perhaps I've strayed from the fold. It is unfortunate that we should feel the need to carry weapons here, but I would sooner go naked than not carry. After all, its hard to ignore the fact that most of the westerners getting killed over here are unarmed UN election workers, who are out there with the best of intentions. "Carrry thy sword as long as thou canst." I guess I'll be carrying mine little while longer.