Posted 8:09 PM by steve

With Hamas using schools and mosques and hospitals to store weapons and as bases to fire at Israel, there's the inevitable hand-wringing over the loss of 'innocent life' when Israel strikes at these compounds, such as happened today when a number of Palestinian 'civilians' were killed when Israeli forces fired at schools from which mortars were being fired.

But unless these supposedly innocent Palestinians were forced at gunpoint to be there, unless they couldn't leave, I don't consider them innocents. By staying where they are, by not running away as fast as they could from the buildings and neighborhoods that are being used by Hamas, these supposed 'civilians' have declared themselves full-fledged supporters of Hamas's attacks on Israelis. They know what Hamas is doing, they know that their presence helps protect Hamas terrorists from Israeli retaliation. There's not much more one can do to earn the label of 'terrorist supporter' than provide shelter to a terrorist.

I don't care that these Palestinians would have to leave their homes and neighborhoods. If a criminal came into my house, intending to use it to shoot at passing cars, I'd be out the back door as fast as I could get away. I'd grab the kids and the car keys and I'd be gone... and I wouldn't be back until the criminals were gone. The last thing I would want to do is stay and subject myself and my family to danger, whether from the criminals or as collateral damage from the inevitable police response. And if I had to hit the road, to stay with friends or pitch a tent, so be it, that would be a small price to pay for both keeping my family safe and not providing a terrorist with a safe haven.

And if I stayed, knowing that my presence made it harder for the police to move in? I'd have forfeited any right I might have had that the police take my and my family's safety into account when planning their assault against the criminals. Paraphrasing Bush from seven long years ago, by not being against the terrorists, these 'civilians' are with the terrorists. And if you're with the terrorists, don't expect me to shed tears over your demise.