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Please remove me from your distribution list. As someone who travels to Israel on
business and has become quite familiar with the area and people, your letter is
wrong on almost every assertion and your "facts" regarding the conflict are both
erroneous and incomplete. Furthermore, your logic about the attack on the U.S. is
very disturbing. If Bin Laden murdered thousands of U.S. civilians and hundreds of
military people in order to achieve the same objective as Hamas, then you apparently
support Bin Laden's goals along with Hamas. You should also become a little
familiar with Hamas has in store for you and all Americans should they ever achieve
their goal of expanding Islamic fundamentalism. The Wst Bank is part one of many.
America and Afghanistan have already had a taste and Americans don't share your
vision of Islamic justice.
At any rate, it is not my goal to educate you nor to change your opinions but I
would appreciate your removing me from your distribution list.
Thank you.
>
> Jim Bronke wrote:
>
> > The State of the Union-2002 My version
> > Jim Bronke-February 3, 2002
> >
> > Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Senator McCain, Congresswoman Pelosi,
> > Congressman Shadegg and friends,
> >
> > It is because of the critical nature of our foreign policy that I address
> > you tonight. I have done a blind carbon copy to over 650 friends of mine
> > that I have in some way communicated with in the last 5 years. I feel that
> > it is necessary now to involve all my friends in my decisions and my
> > thoughts. Friends, if this is an email address at work you should forward
> > it to your home email and read it there.
> >
> > First, I’d like to introduce myself. I am an engineer with a degree in
> > Electronics Engineering and Computer Science from California State
> > University in Northridge California. Prior to getting my degree and working
> > as an engineer I worked as a technician for over 7 years. My career in the
> > defense industry has spanned 14 years. I have worked on JSOW, HARM and
> > Midgetman missiles. I have worked on self-propelled howitzers and GPS guided
> > artillery shells as well as the F-16 fighter. The one thing that I require
> > to work for the defense industry is ultimate faith in our government and how
> > it handles foreign policy. I do not have that faith anymore.
> >
> > This past year has been a real trying one for America and it has tried our
> > soul. I am proud of our many Americans who gave their lives and as well as
> > those like Rudy Guliani who saw New York through it all. Can we be proud as
> > well about our military that have what it takes to get the job done? Yes, we
> > can. Yet, these accomplishments pale compared to the effort it takes to
> > truly have an understanding of why other nations have people that hate us
> > and, doing what it takes to truly reverse that tide of hatred. Working with
> > weapons is easy. We have to be careful that with all the weapons that we
> > have that we don’t run over people. Respecting other nations and listening
> > to their point of view is an even harder task for people. The shortcomings
> > of our depth of understanding have never been so apparent than in the Middle
> > East peace process of which we are supposed to be a part of.
> >
> > I must first say that I think that the efforts of all the people of the
> > country, including you Mr. President are appreciated. I think your tours of
> > the country and addressing local citizens on almost a daily basis represents
> > the best involvement with the people I have ever seen in a President. It
> > certainly is a challenge as the people have asked you some tough questions
> > that I might not have had a good answer. For Senator McCain’s tour of
> > Afghanistan I’m sure it was appreciated by the troops. Congresswoman Pelosi,
> > I was impressed by your appearance on CNN a while back as it didn’t appear
> > that you were concerned about any particular nations in our foreign policy,
> > but were concerned about all and, world peace.
> >
> > I have known for quite some time that our relationship with Israel and our
> > relationship with the world as a result of that was serious cause for
> > concern. When the UN votes unanimously against Israel in the six resolutions
> > on the Middle East question I knew there was a real problem (December 2000).
> >
> > Events are unfolding at a rapid pace right now and it is difficult for any
> > American to feel that they have any input to the process. Our news media has
> > developed a mind of it’s own and seems bent on deciding our foreign policy
> > themselves. Particularly on the issue of attacking Iraq. Fortunately,
> > Americans have responded by turning them off and turning others on. I still
> > don’t feel that we have enough objective coverage regarding the Middle East.
> > Your staff made some recent comments: 1) Condoleeza Rice-“You cannot condemn
> > Al Qaeda and hug Hamas” 2) Dick Cheney-“Hard to move forward on the peace
> > process”. Referring to Arafat’s’ attempt to get weapons in to the country.
> > 1) If anyone has been trying to make a case for the Hamas they probably did
> > so in regards to the fact that they are fighting for their nation. They have
> > been fighting to get their West Bank land back for 40 years that Israel
> > stole from them. The difference between Al Qaeda and Hamas is the first has
> > no real issue to fight for. Hamas does. Their homeland. The terrorism that
> > they exercise is really an act of war. That war was something that was
> > supposed to stop with the initiation of a US sponsored peace plan that began
> > in October-November last year. While the world was watching and hoping,
> > Israel ended it with the assassination of Abu Hanoud, a Palestinian leader
> > on Saturday November 24. This was done with Israeli army helicopter gunship
> > missiles as Hanoud was traveling in a van. Pictures can be seen on the
> > Internet if a search is done for “Abu Hanoud”. Since when is killing a
> > leader consistent with a peace plan? I saw the Palestinians abiding with
> > that peace plan. Israel clearly did not. So the Palestinian’s responded the
> > next day in a predictable fashion by the use of a bomber who killed 37
> > Israelis. If someone killed your mayor wouldn’t you be moved to violence? I
> > would. Sharon then came to America and got the Bush approval to go after
> > more “terrorists”. It’s what I call the “kill a terrorist free” card. This
> > then became the basis for Israel to launch an all out assault on the
> > Palestinians by destroying police stations, attacking Arafat’s headquarters
> > and destroying aircraft and airfields and untold amount of other damage to
> > the point where today even some Israeli soldiers are saying “enough already”
> > , and they are protesting. You lost control of the peace process, President
> > Bush, no one else, and for that reason I lost faith in you. A peace process
> > is not a peace process unless both nations are forced to adhere to it. I
> > must admit that if I were President that it wouldn’t have been easy to stand
> > up to Israel and I might have been persuaded by the lobbying as you were. If
> > I had made the decision you had I would have regretted it a few days later.
> > I would be man enough to admit it.
> > This brings us to :
> >
> > 2) Peace process? What peace process is Arafat going to return to? If I were
> > a Palestinian I couldn’t trust America’s version of the “peace process” that
> > ’s for sure and that’s just the first issue. No peace [process can favor one
> > nation. How about when Israel announced that “They offered Arafat 98% of his
> > land back and he wouldn’t take it”. You know what? I wouldn’t take it
> > either. That offer stinks. Anyone representing America in that peace process
> > should be fired. I don’t know any American who would accept the partial
> > return of land stolen from them. It’s all or nothing. The Palestinians are
> > right in refusing it. Arafat has pride. And it is his pride in his nation
> > that drove him to attempt to purchase weapons. It should be seen as nothing
> > else. The reason it has to be all or nothing is that who knows what kind of
> > treachery was involved in that missing 2%. Most likely when Israel went in
> > there they didn’t build in the gullies or deserts. They took the best land.
> > It has been Israel’s continuing process to work as a rogue nation picking
> > what is right for them and not getting approval. That is not the
> > characteristic of any nation I wish to be allied to. But, on the issue of
> > what the peace process is, I as an American feel that I have been lied to by
> > our government. I thought that our leadership was heartfelt and pushing for
> > legitimate offers. It’s clear that for the last 1.5 years that there hasn’t
> > been any peace process. So, I’ve been lied to. I want our nation represented
> > by people with character. In the UN I don’t think it is. When the recent
> > round of violence came up the UN did not approve of Israel. No small wonder
> > and our classless representative had to whine about there not being any
> > reference to the deaths of the 37 Israelis, sorry. Fire him and get a man
> > with character.
> >
> > The single and only thing that has been done in the last entire 2 years to
> > help the peace process in the Middle East, Mr. President is your address to
> > the United Nations where you stated that you supported a Palestinian state.
> > It seems like progress has to be measured in inches.
> >
> > Because I have lost so much faith in our governments’ foreign policy I have
> > decided to withdraw myself from working on defense industry projects at this
> > time. Instead I will make my effort in making sure I feel right about how
> > our foreign policy is handled. I am going to work with the pen instead of
> > the calculator and engineering specifications. I’m sure that in time I will
> > feel different. I hope it is not a long time.
> >
> > Jim Bronke
> > Phoenix, Arizona
> >
> > To my readers on bcc:
> >
> > I have taken the unprecedented step in emailing everyone I know. If you don’
> > t wish to hear from me regarding such matters just simply do a Reply To: and
> > place “remove” in the subject line. You will be promptly removed. However,
> > if you like what you have read and feel that I have something to say then
> > consider forwarding my message to others in your address book who might be
> > interested. I want to start a campaign called Citizens Against Arrogance in
> > Foreign Policy. What I will do is keep people informed when I write an email
> > to an official or a news agency regarding an issue. I will discuss foreign
> > policy from a perspective of the types of approaches necessary to conduct
> > ourselves as the world power that we truly are without pissing people off.
> > Our country does not need more bombs it needs awareness, humility and
> > sensitivity.
> >
> > Sincerely yours,
> >
> > Jim Bronke
> >
> > Jim Bronke
> > Phoenix, AZ
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