Jody, I do take your points. Many normal people are prepared to face the RISK of dying for a cause. No sane person will willingly face the CERTAINTY of death as the result of their choice of action.The only parallels to the Sep 11th incidents are the forays of Japanese Kamikaze pilots, and God alone knows what sort of drug-induced euphoria these poor buggers had to experience before doing what they did.
I mean, even if the odds appear to be insuperable, every soldier secretly believes that he is not going to be the one who buys it this time. That is the way the human mind works, at least in the case of normal sentient beings. Sometimes the belief comes true. (My father survived WW II, minus a limb) For three of my uncles, their belief was misplaced.
Once again I cut and paste from my previous post
There is a HUGE difference between putting your life at risk for a cause in which you believe, and embarking on a suicide mission which you KNOW will lead to your demise
And, btw, I DO know that I would lay my life on the line for my kids, if the occasion demanded. I am quite sure that you would do the same.
All the best to you too
Murray