I pray for the friends and family of Osama bin Laden, if he had any, and that his restless soul is at peace in a place where there are no prejudices. I do not rejoice in the death of another human being. In fact, I apologize for the fact that this country, this world, resorts to murder as a form of justice.

Am I saying that he was a good man? Absolutely not. I quite agree that he was a terrible man. Do I think he should have been taken to trail? Yes. Do I think he should have been given the chance to live, something he himself believed we didn't deserve? Yes. Why? Because I thought we were better than that. If he had killed himself, I wouldn't have minded, but the fact that we stoop to the same level every.single.time.

I pray that one day, as a people, we can live to better understand each other even if we don't always agree. I pray that instead of using brute force, we use our minds to deal with our disagreements.

Here's to empathy.

Wiccan Sign (Pentacle) Allowed on Soldier's Plaque

SCOTT SONNER

Associated Press

RENO, Nev. - The widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan won state approval Wednesday to place a Wiccan religious symbol on his memorial plaque, something the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs had refused.
"I'm honored and ecstatic. I've been waiting a year for this," Roberta Stewart said from her home in Fernley, about 30 miles east of Reno.
Sgt. Patrick Stewart, 34, was killed in Afghanistan last September when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his helicopter. Four others also died. Stewart was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
He was a follower of the Wiccan religion, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does not recognize and therefore prohibits on veterans' headstones in national cemeteries.
But state officials said they had received a legal opinion from the Nevada attorney general's office that concluded federal officials have no authority over state veterans' cemeteries. They now plan to have a contractor construct a plaque with the Wiccan pentacle - a circle around a five-pointed star - to be added to the Veterans' Memorial Wall in Fernley.
"The VA still has not determined yet if a Wiccan symbol can go on the headstone," said Tim Tetz, executive director of the Nevada Office of Veterans Services. "But we have determined we control the state cemetery and that we therefore have the ability to recognize him for his service to his country."
Wiccans worship the earth and believe they must give to the community. Some consider themselves good witches, pagans or neo-pagans.
The Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration allows only approved emblems of religious beliefs on government headstones. Over the years, it has approved more than 30, including symbols for the Tenrikyo Church, United Moravian Church and Sikhs. There is also an emblem for atheists.

---VA needs to hurry up and follow suit.

The Fallen

As you very well know, something terrible happened yesterday. I've been in complete disbelief all day. I can't believe the tragedy that befell our country. Why would someone do that? So many innocent lives were lost. Children will never see their mothers or fathers again. Parents will never see their children again. I was sick, again, yesterday. I had stayed home and was woken up at around noon by two of my fellow JROTC classmates, who happen to also be my neighbors. My mom let them in, not knowing why they were not in school, and they proceeded to turn on the TV and put it on the news. Bryan Ralls and Luis Nuñez told me that the school had been let out early because of the devastation that was going on. Bryan has family in New York and his sister had an emotional breakdown when watching the news. My mom sat down on the couch, staring at the TV. The boys and I just stood there, staring at the floor. I felt ridiculous standing there in my pajamas.

My mom spent the entire day contacting family, making sure that our relatives in New York were okay. I think I'll leave you now with a prayer for the fallen.

Blessed Goddess,
For those who didn't even believe in You,
for those who never knew You,
and for those who died with You in their hearts,
for those who knew,
but never wanted,
for those who wanted,
but never tried,
for those whose lives were stolen,
and for those who got a second chance.
For the families of the loved ones lost,
for the families of the loved ones forgotten,
for the families who always fought,
and for the families in general who were affected.
Our time is coming near,
and our time is coming soon.
Protect us in this time of need,
and in this time of forgiveness,
protect us from ourselves.
For those who never got to see the light of the next day,
or even the darkness of that night,
may they all be with You,
forever...
So mote it be...