Hi Ricardo. Thanks for the input. In my article, I mostly asked questions. I think that those questions are important to ask, and also to answer. For example, are we safer now than we were in 2001? There are some studies that suggest that drone attacks, which often hit innocent people create more terrorists than they eliminate. Those people feel that they also have the right to defend themselves, just like we do.

I worry that this often turns into a vicious cycle of karma, just like a never ending feud. Sooner or later, the cycle needs to be broken. Personally, I think that peace is the best way to break it.

It probably sounds naive or idealistic, but what if, instead of spending trillions on war in Afghanistan and Iraq, we had instead spent trillions on fostering good will? This is a tactic that applies to personal self defense as well. If someone picks a fight with me, for example, I can respond with aggression. Or I can respond with a joke and a smile, diffusing the situation.

In the end, I agree with you that we all have the right to defend ourselves. That’s why I’ve spent decades learning self defense. But in the end, I believe that a policy of peace, whether it is individual or global, is a viable form of defense.

Thanks for the comment, Jen. And I’m glad you had a good time in the Bahamas!

We ventured out in the town that day (remember on vacation) with our 3 yr. in tow. The sights and sounds that we saw were full of people acting irrational and just insane! Traffic like you wouldn’t believe, people running around like maniacs screaming/shouting/waving the American flag.

We already had plans to travel to the Bahamas in 2 days by ship and to vacation there for 5 days. Many of our relatives were aghast that we were not canceling our plans. Planes were grounded for several days, but we thought–OK–we had plans to travel by ship. So travel to the Bahamas we did and had a wonderful time–even got our room upgraded as many people had cancelled their reservations. 🙂 The area we were staying at was quite deserted–only 1 other couple there.

Fear makes most people crazy and we saw it with our own eyes, but I just don’t get it! Thanks for the great article!

My pleasure, Del. Glad you found it helpful.

Thanks, Kathy. It’s a great quote, isn’t it?

I found myself nodding as I read through every point that you enumerated. A powerful set of lessons for some very troubling times and a reminder of some very good reasons to train in our arts. Thanks for writing this!

Thanks Ellen. But I disagree that you didn’t have an impact. At the very least, you tried to be the change that you wanted to see. That’s no small thing.