I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Let's Find Out What's On Bin-Laden's Mind

Why is it not possible that Osama bin Laden's offer to negotiate a truce is sincere?

Dick Cheney's "I think you have to destroy them," and Scott McClellan's "We do not negotiate with terrorists. We put them out of business" remind me very much of George W. Bush's "Bring 'em on" remark.

The Bush administration's arrogance could be preventing the start of a peaceful solution to the problem of terrorism. How could it hurt us to talk instead of hunt-down-and-kill, just this once? It might even improve our relationships with others around the world.

BERNICE VETSCH, ST. PAUL

I'm gonna go out on a limb here... this woman is in her 60s and takes care of more than two cats.

Just take a look at some of her other letters:

I am one American who is delighted to hear that Hugo Chavez is a [proposed, if not an actual] candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. I have admired him since seeing the Irish documentary, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” a couple of years ago.

Would that our government, instead of bad-mouthing a leader who puts human rights and needs first, would learn from him that their job, too, requires that they consider “the general welfare” (see the U.S. constitution) rather than the enrichment of the rich and the effort to build what can only be called empire.

Bernice Vetsch

On the BBC News website:

The Washington Post reports offers from Sunni leaders to negotiate peaceful elections without further devastation by US military. I don't know why the hell we haven't taken them up on their offer to talk. George Bush and his group are not good for the world.
Bernice Vetsch, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

And at the Daily Star:

The editorial "A window through which to engage U.S. foreign policy" (Dec. 11)
I couldn't agree more. There seems no visible evidence that the Bush administration has learned anything from its first-term mistakes, so hearing that the rest of the world is willing to help them avoid further misadventures is heartening.

Bernice Vetsch
St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.

On the Progressive Democrats of America blog: (in response to a post called Rep. McGovern to Introduce Bill Ending Funding For Iraq War)

Bernice Vetsch says:
October 28th, 2005 at 1:44 pm

What a smart and wonderful thing to do. May I suggest also eliminating about half the defense budget — all the R&D money for missile systems, nuclear zappers orbiting space, permanent military bases in Iraq and elsewhere. It would be another big step toward world peace through cooperation instead of domination.

And she apparently donated to the Minnesota Senior Federation (in the Metropolitan Region)... so i might be right that she's in her 60s. Now to prove that she's a weird cat-lady. She's clearly a socialist commie.