Thursday Mishmash

I’ve had a lot of thoughts going through my mind the past day or so: too many diverse ideas to center on one a single subject. So this evening I have decided to write snippets of several of them.


Gasoline Prices

Yesterday I did a lot of driving. In fact, I was probably on the road much more than half of the day. Many appointments took me to several places away from Louisville; since the price of gasoline was still fresh in my mind from Tuesday’s post, I noticed the vast disparity in gasoline prices. Prices ranged upward from the $2.16/gallon I paid in Louisville on Tuesday to a high of $2.48/gallon in Ohio. The lowest price I noticed was $2.10/gallon in Indiana. Unfortunately, I had no room in my gas tank to take advantage of the low cost.

This morning as I was driving around Louisville, I noticed that, for the most part, the gasoline prices here had dropped 2 – 6 cents over the past couple of days. Great! But, I wonder when they will rocket back up.


A Threat & an Offer

I have not written much about the so-called “War on Terrorism” recently. I called it “so-called” because I don’t believe that a nation can fight a “war” against terrorism because (1) ii is a war that can never be won and (2) it is as much a conflict related to philosophies and ways of life as it is a military enterprise. All of that, including my rationale for stating it, must await another post.

At the moment this strange audiotaped message from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has me puzzled. On the on hand, bin Laden tenders the offer of a “long-term truce” while at the same time threatens immanent attacks on U.S. soil. I am unsure what this means. How can I take seriously anyone who offers the dove of peace with his left hand while raising a scimitar in his right? I could assume that this is some form of diplomatic double-talk, exept that, to my knowledge, neither al Qaeda nor Osama bin Laden have ever been know for diplomacy.


A More Urgent Concern

For me, of much more urgent concern than whether al Qaeda will attack me in my home or really be willing to negotiate a truce is the fate of abducted American journalist Jill Carroll, whose Muslim kidnappers threatened to kill her unless the United States releases all female Iraqi prisoners within 72 hours. I pray for the safety of this young woman as I pray that her kidnappers may be true Muslims and have an understanding of Islam and the Qur'an—which at this moment lies open on my desk—informs me that the Holy Book of Islam forbids the Believer from attacking noncombatants, even if they are citizens of enemy countries. Of course, these contemporary Muslim terrors seem to know little of the content of the Qur’an, even though they seem to quote catchphrases to justify their unjust actions.

I read within the last hour that I am not the only one concerned about Ms. Carroll's kidnapping:

Over the last 24-36 hours, a number of significant Muslim organizations have made appeals for Jill's release, including the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is also sending a delegation to Iraq to help secure her release.