"This loaded word 'minority' wants its hash settled.

Criminals are a *minority* of society: so what does Don T think we should do? Abolish the police and let them get on with it because thy are just a *minority*?

It was a *minority* who destroyed the twin Towers on 9/11; I mean - count them: 4 - two for each tower. So that's all right, eh, Don? How much smaller a *minority* could you have?

Even if it was a *minority* firing rockets from Gaza [which it isn't; it's the elected govt as Keith so rightly points out], would that mean the resultant missiles didn't matter? Only a *minority* firing them, so let 'em come?"

I needed to think about this before answering, but here goes Mike.

There have been combined rocket and mortar attacks (according to Wiki) totalling 12,791 in the twelve years 2001 to 2012, which is a yearly total of 1066 to the nearest whole rocket.

Even if it took ten men per rocket, and assuming that it is a trained and established group doing the firing, that amounts to 10,660 men involved, which, I am fairly certain will be a serious over estimate of the real number.

I am sure Mike that you will have to agree that, even adding in the whole of the Hamas government, who order or at least condone these acts, we still have a tiny minority of the 1.7 million population, less than one percent.

It beggars belief that Israeli air strikes haven't killed large numbers of innocent civilians, just based on the law of averages, and it is no excuse to say that militants were using them as shields.

Unless they are caught red handed prepping rockets or manning mortars, a pilot cannot possibly be sure who he is shooting, and Israeli commanders have stated that they consider civilian police to be combatants, though how they justify the large number of dead women and children..........? But of course they simply dispute and deny any figures other than the ones produced by their own side, which by reason of distance are least likely to be accurate.

Lastly "Criminals are a *minority* of society: so what does Don T think we should do? Abolish the police and let them get on with it because thy are just a *minority*?"

NO! But I wouldn't indiscriminately arrest large numbers of the innocent majority, just because I could, either. That comment, with respect, is unworthy of a man of your intelligence.

Don T.