I'm caught in a bout of a moral dilemma. The recent bombings in London and yesterday's announcement of the IRA giving up on armed conflicts caused a bit of conflict in my own mind which I am having a tough time reconciling.

Of course, as an American, I am outraged and upset by the Al Queida bombings in London. They are as cowardly and barbaric as the 9/11 attack, Lisbon and all other terrorist activity tied in with this group. My blood boils and my heart goes out to the families of those affected.

I am pleased to finally see the possibility of a political rather than military end to the centuries old problems in Ireland. If they can finally lay down arms and come to a peaceful settlement and return Ireland to the Irish I would dance in the streets.

However, my issue comes in that I have never had a problem with the military actions of the IRA. Yes, they are unfortunate and it is regrettable that civilians have had to die on both sides but nothing else would ever seem to make a dent in the British resolve. Maybe it is because I see a moral right in the Republican movement while I view the war in Iraq and all fallout from it to be so wrong.

When I look at it closer though there is an odd similarity. The Irish were taking action against an occupying force. Isn't that, basically, what the terrorists are doing? Don't get me wrong, I am totally against the administrations handling of the "War on Terror". It's just when I stopped and thought about it in the past few days I had to wonder how I could separate the two.

I guess it's much like how a person can be for the death penalty but against abortion. They are both, at the root, the same thing; but one can feel so terribly wrong and the other so terribly right.

I am wearing my Sinn Fein t-shirt today in hopes that a peaceful solution in Ireland can finally be found. If there is a heaven, I am sure Michael Collins and Sean Downs are smiling at the thought.