After observing what has transpired since the events of this past September 11 I have reached the conclusion that we should attempt to negotiate a cease-fire. Folks that served in the military might be familiar with the term "blanket party," that’s when an unsuspecting serviceman is visited in the middle of the night by several of his disgruntled comrades. While he is asleep, a blanket is thrown over his body and is firmly held down by some of his assailants, while other attackers pummel him through the blanket, with fists, bats or other objects. The attack happens in the dark, and although the victim might have a strong suspicion of who his muggers were, he can usually never prove it.

Anyway, it seems to me that a national blanket party was thrown in our honor two months ago. And since then, people have been dying of anthrax infections, spread intentionally through the mail—as I write even a little old lady in Connecticut has died -and if we can believe the news reports, probably at the hands of one of our fellow citizens. The President, through an executive military order issued on November 13, 2001, suspended certain civil liberties pertaining to specific classes of people living in the United States. Four to five thousand people living and or working in the United States are dead, victims of the blanket party itself. The U.S. economy has taken a nosedive, and many people are out of work. And the bad news doesn’t stop there.

No, we are told we are at "war," and sacrifices lay ahead. But pardon me, I must not have been awake when Congress declared war. And as an aside, in defense of the President’s outrageous action (the suspension of civil rights thing) he has spoken to how past presidents took similar actions during World Wars I and II. But the fact that Congress formerly declared "war" in both of those instances eludes him.

Then why didn’t congress declare war this time? Because it was a blanket party, we don’t know who attacked us. We hear reports from the media, but even though journalists have recently given up their lives in an attempt at bringing us the story, we don’t really know for sure what is going on over there. But that’s okay, we don’t really know what is going on over here either. Things are radically different for us now, and I’m not simply referring to the mail or airline travel.

It seems to me that the way we think, as it relates to how we view ourselves as a people, and our place in the world, has changed. This "war" is not some noble quest, nor prime-time entertainment, yet we have been acting as if it were. And I can not fathom how the terrible attacks which were made upon us, can give us the right to do what we will upon the world stage. But I can certainly understand our desire to do so. After all, we were attacked and we need to defend ourselves, but against whom? No group has come forward to say, "we did this." But we are pissed-off and confused, and we want retribution, so we bomb Afghanistan.

And as I watch this spectacle unfold, it occurs to me that it might be wise to consider our options. And if it must be war, well than let’s ask Congress to declare it, against consortia or specific groups --and any nations harboring them, in a clear manner, and then prosecute it apolitically until surrender terms are negotiated. But absent that action, and giving due consideration to our present course, I believe that we should propose a cease-fire as quickly as possible.

For we might very well "get" Bin Laden, especially since a vast majority of the American people, and military would like to simply find him and kill him--a summary execution following a sham trial. But even if we accomplish this task, my concern is that this will represent a pyrrhic victory-a loss masquerading as a win.

No, in my heart it seems to me that it is time to listen to those that have attacked us. In order so that we might try to understand why this has happened to us. But before we can talk to them, we must bring them out of hiding. And it seems to me that the best way to accomplish this is to abandon the notion of "rooting" them out. No, we should entice them out. Perhaps by offering to give up the broadcasting of television shows such as Jerry Springer and Professional Wresting. But seriously, however we manage to do it, it seems to me that at this juncture, we need to be bombing less and talking more.

Imaging the faces of the Afghanis being handed bags of money for information leading to the capture of Bin Laden. And imagine the stories that are going to be told about us, the infidel bribers coming from abroad to snag their hero. As it relates to the light in which the Moslems of the world view us, I see no good long term "press" in these actions. And I believe we need to take the long view. But before we can ask them to talk to us, we must be prepared to listen to them, and not as if they are of the line of a bastard son, but as our true brothers and sisters. And we must understand that what they say might make us uncomfortable. But then we must realize that no matter how uncomfortable the speech; it beats the present day alternative.