[Warlon]

As with everyone here, and indeed around the world, my condolences to all those who have lost family and friends. My greatest respect and thanks to all those who have lost their lives helping others, defending what's right, and making the world a better place.

I believe the phrase uttered after witnessing our country's reaction to Pearl Harbor went something like: We have awakened a sleeping giant, and instilled within him a great resolve. I believe we will prove this statement to be no less true today than it was then.

The change to my signature was emailed to me by a friend who is, believe it or not, a Master Swordsmith.

I think most of us have this desire to strike back, make them pay, and ensure that they never harm innocent people again. Nothing is worse than having this strong desire, and having no clear enemy to strike down, leaving you feeling helpless. During WWII, many American people with oriental ancestry were persecuted because of who they were, and who we were fighting. I hope we can keep this type of reaction in check in the months ahead. It's bad enough that in war, innocent people will be killed by accident, much less attacking innocents because of how they look.

Guess this post has rambled on long enough.
I'll shut up and go clean my sword.

 

[DHG-1934]

There is a certain rational part of my brain which recognizes the caution and planning that must now occur before we can make any real moves in this delicate situation.

However, I'm climbing the walls while another part of my brain becomes increasingly more impatient with the wringing of hands and rhetoric filling the pages and airwaves. I agree that this feeling of impotence and perception of indecision is difficult to handle. I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling this.

That said, bigotry is never healthy. I would once have said that my opinion of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell couldn't get any lower. After their comments this past week, I realize how wrong I was. The energy they bring into the world, combined with equally ignorant attacks on Islamic citizens around the country, detracts from what has otherwise been a unifying and touching national reaction to this tragedy.

Only through setting aside our differences and pulling together can we possibly hope to defeat terrorism. I don't believe that getting Bin Laden will be that easy. I'm also reasonably certain that much more far reaching action will need to be taken to sufficiently cripple or eradicate this type of terrorist activity. I firmly believe that we will need inner strength and unification to handle the long haul impact of this event and our necessary retaliation.

Joe

 

[Bullittgirl]

Another thing to remember is that the public is not and cannot be aware of all that is going on in the investigation for security reasons. Likewise we may not know of other actions being taken until after the fact. We may not like it, but it really does have to be done that way. So patience is a necessity. Also, it is important that diplomatic means of dealing with things, e.g. getting bin Laden out of Afghanistan be tried first. Remember there are plenty of innocent people living there, many who are against the Taliban and quite likely the terrorism inflicted on our nation. They deserve better than the victims of last week got.

_________________
Tracy Brown



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Bullittgirl on 2001-09-18 21:33 ]</font>