The beheading in Syria in poetic fashion

Such a terrible thing! Twice now and probably more.

I can't comprehend such violence, especially in the name of religion but then we've seen it all before.

I fervently hope that something is done but I'm not sure that more violence is the answer. I do know that this violence is intolerable.

Our leaders have a huge burden but at the moment none seems strong enough to have the answer.

Well done for your treatment of this subject, a difficult one to broach.

Ann

I tend to agree with you, Ruby. The knee jerk reaction is to just go bomb someone, but I think we need a more detailed plan to cut the head off the snake once and for all. I do believe this war on terrorism will continue for decades unless we devise a strategy that will make sense for decades...if that means having no economic dealings with Arab nations, fine....isolate from their affairs completely...fine...but to immediately think we should go to war....what has that gotten us in the past?...by the way, I challenged you on my hub today. :)

Ruby you have a good heart. To me, 'dead is dead' so these two journalist that have died of misdventure, their deaths are no more horrific than the soldiers and civilians that are dying everyday.

A terrible thing when someone knowingly takes a life, any life--I am not sure what all the answers are--but I doubt that more violence is the way

We shall see. How much more of this goes on that we don't hear about?

If USA intervened long time ago in Syria or aided the Syrain people against Bashar regime,many innocent people's lives wouldnt be killed and that terrorist organization wouldnthave a space on Iraq and Syria for its feet or grow to that extent.One has to ask himself why USA and its allies armed only Kurdistan soldiers not syrian opposition and why Obama said yesterday his plan is not to deteriorate ISIS but to minimize them.That's so wierd!Killing Osama ben laden doesn't solve the problem or bring peace to the world .It adds only fuel to the fire.Al Qaada becomes more stronger than any days before.

I agree, Ruby. ISIL is falsely using and deliberately misinterpreting religion as a scapegoat to commit atrocities and gain power over others. Sadly, this is not a new concept. I have been silent regarding any criticism of Obama…but I wondered the same as you. I remember how he kept the Bin Laden affair close to his chest. I recall the jokes he made at the press media fete in Washington, knowing full well what was about to take place within a matter of hours, and the risks involved. (I wouldn’t want to play poker with this fellow.) Also, we don’t understand the complexities involved with certain strategies; pulling together the needed coalitions; the approval of Congress required to initiate particular actions, etc. My heart goes out to the families of this poor man, and, as Mike said, to those thousands of other victims of ISIL who suffer daily.

James-Wolve; Excuse me, but yesterday, Obama said, “ISIL speaks for no religion. They’ve murdered Muslims [by] the thousands,” he continued. “They target Christians and religious minorities, driving them from their homes whenever they can.” On Sept. 3,: “Our objective is clear, and that is: Degrade and destroy ISIL so that it’s no longer a threat, not just to Iraq but also to the region and to the United States.”

That was interesting Ruby. Instead of recalling the past it was using the present to hope for good in the future. The song also went well with it. I voted it up, shared and pinned it.

Kevin.

It seems to be a simple thing to voice what should be done by some who aren't privy to all of the facts. I'd not like to be in the position of having to start a war, especially with today's terrible weapons of destruction. But then, there have always been those who know everything. lol!

Thank you for writing this poem. I can't get past the photo and am not ready to really deal with the issue as a whole.

For me, it is just a question of timing. In my opinion, pure evil doesn't go away on its own. We can wait and see how it goes, but at some point, someone will have to make it go away.

Having had a son who served in that part of the world, I've seen the cost of war. The U.S. waited in WWI, and we waited in WWII. I can't help but wonder if that made the price we paid later, end up being greater. However, we went into Iraq, in hindsight, too quickly, with bad results.

I hope the president is getting good advice, and I pray that he chooses wisely.

Ruby, I toowatched President Obama yesterday as the pundits were criticizing him for nonintervention, as Rand Paul said he, President Obama dosen't have a stratgy.

Would Mr. Paul have our President advertise to the enemy what his plans are so that ISIS/ISIL could counter act. Is Mr. Paul stating that is what he would do if he were president?

Wonderful thought provoking hub.

This is horrifying and very sad, I guess it is best to remember the past and tread softly. Deep and intense poem.

Its such a horrific/violent world we share with our neighbors.. violence brings violence.. we retalite they do the same.. and its no longer your father's war.. today its chemical warfare.. terrorist attacks and so much more good share my friend

Facts on earth shows Obama really has no strategy and his foreign policy is very blurry.

Dear Ruby,

Reading your poetry reminds me what a fair, honorable and truly decent woman you are. Thank you for being this voice in our community.

Love you so much, Maria

Hi Ruby, its so awful there are no words are there? what gets me so mad is that the ones that go over there from here or america have the darn nerve to try to get back into our countries after they have done this! send in all the big guns so to speak, and sort them out once and for all, nell

Where does this madness end? What I want to know is why, what would cause young men, to do something so heinous, so despicable then wallow in the aftermath. I don't know what the answer is, but reacting out of a sense of revenge will only add more fuel to the fire.

However, they can't have it both ways, the young men who yearns to kill Westerners should not be allowed back into the country, why would they even want to, if it's such a terrible place? The crazy thing is, while they are prepared to fight and die for their beliefs, they wouldn't want to actually live in those countries. Utter madness.

Important topic Ruby. I have sympathy for the position of the President and other world leaders at this time and the decisions they are forced to make. Our Prime Minister has decided to provide assistance via air-drops etc but no troops on the ground. Whatever decisions are made re intervention there will be people for and against. These people ISIS are trying to provoke the west into action and if we intervene we are doing exactly what they want, but with innocent people from our countries being beheaded and the like, can we sit on our hands and do nothing. I am not sure of the answers. I read a post on Facebook b a 60 year old ex soldier, he says the military have it all wrong. They should recruit old guys over 50 who are tired and cranky and already lived most of their life to fight these wars instead of young inexperienced 18 year olds who would rather sleep in until 10am then spend the day playing the xbox. It was a comedy post but had some good points. Good poem, voted up.

I have read about this in many papers and internet. Thanks Ruby for sharing the same.

Absolutely horrendous! What kind of a person is able to decapitate another person, and then eager to shock the world with a video of it? This kind of behaviour is totally beyond my comprehension. May all victims of barbarians rest in peace.

This was such a horrific sight and I can't say any more too much has been going on.

A horrific ordeal and I can't say no more too much has been going on.

I came back to say that our president has stated last night what he will do without alerting ISIS/ISIL as to which way they will be hit. Our president has been working behind the scenes, just as he did with Osama benLaden.

And all the wannabe presidents are trying to push him to fail, just as mitch mcconnell said after President Obama won the election, when these people should represent the American people instead of their own ambition.

I hope everyone remembers in the voting booth.

As always wonderful hub

Blessings and hugs.

It's ironic that the man who ran as The One who would end all wars will probably go down in history as the president who started WW3.

Oh, I love you dearly, Ruby, and would never want to anger you! That was not my intent at all. You're one of my oldest and best HubPages friends!

A long time since this hub was written, but still of course relevant today. Coverage of ISIL / ISIS seems to have lessened in the UK in recent months, perhaps because there have been less recent beheadings of Westerners. But the torment continues for local people. Good to see that the terrorists have now been driven out of Palmyra in Syria, and hopefully they are at last beginning to lose ground. But there is still a long way to go.

Re-the President. It is immensely difficult. If the President intervenes militarily, then it can lead to long years of war and occupation and loss of American lives, and can have a self-defeating effect in alienating a new generation of young Muslims in the region, some of whom may see it (wrongly) as an attack on their religion. On the other hand, if he does nothing, then the 'World's Most Powerful Man' is seen as impotent and weak, and America loses influence in the world. Any American president in those circumstances would have my sympathy.

I said at the start that this remains relevant. In the nicest possible way Ruby, I hope your hub becomes irrelevant in the future as ISIL eventually disappear. Unfortunately however, vile incomprehensible people will remain in the world - groups like ISIL are merely the worst current manifestation of that. Alun

Very cool. I kind of think that I am a bad guy to judge the persons of politics. I cannot serve in such a way. My country and its leaders are awesome otherwise my life would not be awesome.

Really good art here friend.