An era ended this week with the death of Yassar Arafat.

He died at age 75.

A ripe age for leaving the world.

He lay in a comfortable bed surrounded by his family and friends.

It was a good death as native Americans would say. He left this world peacefully.

His death is a far cry from the thousands of deaths he caused over the years

It is my opinion that the PLO leader deserved to leave the world begging for his life.

He was a mass murderer and the day they handed him the Nobel Peace Prize, I couldn't help but think how tarnished it had become.

A state funeral?

This man was no elected leader of a free, democratic nation.

He ruled with an iron fist and being such, he deserved no recognition by that useless United Nations or even our own government. While I wished that we had sent no one to the funeral on Friday, I'm glad that it was some underling from deep inside the State Department.

France's Chirac would not have rushed to his bedside and George W. Bush would have simply smiled on hearing he had died.

Why am I so venomous in my thoughts about Arafat?

It is because of his thug ways that we now endure video of people being beheaded from the Mideast.

It is because of him that the start at every Olympics, athletes are reminded of an incident where their predecessors were slaughtered.

It was this man who made blowing up airliners in midair seem so simple.

It was this man that created the method of terrorism where schools are blown up, people can't eat in peace for fear of a backpack with a bomb.

There are too many documented cases where he lied, cheated and stole with no remorse. It was Arafat that replaced Hitler as the worlds most famous Jew hater.

We are taught as Christians that we should not hate our enemies, but I can't help despising those who cause so much bloodshed.

I read this week where one well respected journalist said Arafat was successful because he brought attention to the Palestinian cause through "successful acts of terror."

Well if that is the case, our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are wholly justified.

Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussien have had successful acts of terror in their past.

If that is the case, then call our two current wars successful acts of terror.

Our president is bringing attention to the cause of ridding the world of these terrible people, therefore, we are using successful acts of terror.

All these people heaping praise on Arafat this week need to remember that he would have killed them if it would have advance his world in any way.

I can't cry for Arafat, because normal people don't weep for brutal killers.

In fact, where I come from, he should have been hanging at the end of a long rope and be left there for a few days for the whole world to see.

Praise Arafat.

I don't think so.

I'll leave that for those people over there who seem to only have time to dance and yell in the streets.

I have too much work to do, because I enjoy the American Dream too much.

That dream?

It's called "Freedom" Mr. Arafat, and God bless it.

Give our regards to Hitler.

Jay Thomas is the managing editor of the Greenville Advocate and can be reached at 334-382-3111, ext. 136 or via email at jay.thomas@greenvilleadvocate.om.