Matthew Newman asked in his letter, " . . .why the killing of innocent civilians at a Passover Sedar is a legitimate way to further the Palestinian cause?" Killing innocent civilians is never legitimate to people who value humanity. However, it must clearly be overstood that violence is often the only weapon that people who feel powerless believe they have to fight injustice. It is easy to explain away what is happening in the Middle East, what happened in the Twin Towers, what happened in Oklahoma City and what happened in the streets of Los Angeles and Cincinnati by labeling the actors "evil" or "fanatical." However, doing this does and responding with more violence will not stop these incidents from reoccurring.

Speaking from personal experience, People who feel oppressed cannot be forced into submission by any means. The reason is because those who feel completely oppressed by another have nothing left to lose but their chains. Thus, giving your life, literately or figuratively, to the struggle for freedom is the only possibility because the one you are living under oppression has no value.

"i" realize that searching for a deeper overstanding of the tragedies that involve so much suffering of the innocent is tremendously hard, especially when one feels personally threatened. "i" struggle daily with coming to terms with the genocide of people of African descent in enslavement for almost 200 years in a country founded on the semblance of freedom; rampant police brutality and murder; and modern slavery through globalism and capitalism. Furthermore, "i" am constantly challenge to maintain respect for this university that blatantly and continuously disrespects and disregards students.

The truth as the events of September 11th proved so clearly and the lesson that the citizens of Israel are learning daily is that the price to be paid for not gaining a deeper understanding of the oppressed and thus making new choices is more than any of us can afford.