November 12, 2004
Blind Squirrel
Just when I'm ready to write off my hometown newspaper as an NYT-esque liberal rag, they go and write an editorial like this.
Arafat's death unlocks new hope for Mideast peaceBravo, Kansas CIty Star editorial board. Posted by at November 12, 2004 01:19 PMA few key facts tell the story of Yasser Arafat: He dies without a Palestinian state but with abundant praise from Arab autocrats and a secret fortune that may well amount to several billion dollars.
The strange story of this corrupt and brutal man closes on a final curious note: He is being honored in death as the embodiment of the Palestinian aspirations that he in fact betrayed.
Unfortunately, sufficient attention will not be given to the many innocent people who have died over the decades as the result of Arafat's terrorism.
Those victims — Olympic athletes, Israeli schoolchildren, American tourists, Palestinian moderates and many others — are the ones who need to be remembered as the world reflects on Arafat's career.
{snip}
Arafat's death creates an enormous power vacuum; the months and perhaps years ahead are likely to be filled with uncertainty and internal conflicts for the Palestinians. But after decades of Arafat's lies, corruption and violence, they now have at least some hope for a brighter future.
We have a power vacuum in the US too, but like it that way.
Posted by: Ron Hardin on November 12, 2004 04:40 PM