Hello list --
I'm a little stunned by everything that's happened, but I'm going to try
and put down my thoughts is a somewhat organized manner.
First off, I'm so glad to hear from those of you in NYC and Washington DC.
Bob Zimmerman is the only one I can think of who hasn't checked in, and I'm
sure he's busier than he ever wanted to be. My thoughts are for your
safety and peace.
My first reaction to America burning was anger. I well remember huddling
under my desk in the first grade in 1954 as we practiced what to do in the
event of a nuclear attack. (Fat lot of good that would have done, as we
lived a few miles from Boeing field at the time). The WTC attack brought
back all that fear and adrenaline that growing up American in the '50's
engendered. We were taught that the best defense was a good offensive
showing, "Make America so strong no opposing nation would dare to attack".
Build bigger bombs, and better delivery systems. Make the rest of the
world quake in our shadow, etc., etc., etc. A small part of me thought we
ought to get those bastards and make them pay. Luckily, I've learned over
the years to not get stuck there, and start to use my brains instead of my
gonads.
It looks like the terrorists that perpetrated this disaster had some ties
to the middle east. Suppose we do find out they are part of some
organization or group -- maybe even dispached by Osama bin Ladin --
whatever. So, we go over there, kick some butt and kill them all. (I have
my doubts we could 'kill them all', anyway). Tomorrow there will be some
other religious or otherwise leader to take the place of the one who has
gone. Now they have to retaliate. Then we do. Then they do, etc. The
problem is, we can't 'kick butt' out of this situation. Killing off the
present offenders doesn't solve the problem for any more than a few months.
They'll figure out a way to retaliate. There is no protection from
terrorism.
I'm with Marvin on re-evaluating our policies. We need to start thinking
in different ways about the hotspots that give birth to this kind of
terrorism. We could learn from WWI and WWII. After WWI we dessimated
Germany, they rebuilt in a few years and "voila"... WWII. After WWII we
helped them to rebuild, and now we have a great ally for democracy *and*
capitalism.
Just as we did during WWII, I think we need to learn from Great Britian.
They taught us all how to keep going and live our lives during nightly
rocket attacks. Now they've lived for years with terroism that hasn't shut
them down either. (So, OK, I'll give it to you that the IRA doesn't have a
culture that promotes suicide bombings, like the middle east cultures do,
and therefore the Brits haven't had airplanes used as weapons of mass
destruction before, but GB has lived with lots of lowere level terrorism
for, what?, 35 years or so now?) Anyway, I'd like to see the US conduct
its self with the same sort of dignity and measured response right now. I
don't want to perpetrate more misery in the world to assauge our own.
Blessings,
Jo Anne
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
