I just can't. So many people have made stupid metaphorical references to the "Road to peace in the Middle East" and the "bumps along the way" that I'm numb to it. It's an awful phrase, and it minimizes the importance of human life, and at this point, it's overused, as well, but it just doesn't fan the flames of anger in my soul.
When speaking directly of those that lost their lives this September 11th, the president was somber and respectful. He spoke calmly and politely at their funeral. he stood at attention while their flag-draped bodies were loaded into hearses by Marines.
I didn't want to hear "Oh, no, you don't!" Because we are not the parents of the world. We are not reactionists. We understand that violence is not the answer that we want to give, if we want a less violent world.
From http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-invokes-slain-ambassador-chris-stevens-speech-challenge/story?id=17320388#.UGWy5q7tOIo:
The strongest weapon against hateful speech, Obama said, is "not repression, it is more speech."When we get it wrong, more people die.
"On this we must agree: there is no speech that justifies mindless violence," he said. "There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. There is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. There is no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and destruction in Pakistan," he added.
"It is time to leave the call of violence and the politics of division behind. On so many issues, we face a choice between the promise of the future, or the prisons of the past," he said. "We cannot afford to get it wrong."