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right on
I hope the ACLU get's the picture now---put god back in the schools and back
on the money
----- Original Message -----
From: "rick schaefer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2001 6:34 PM
Subject: Re: [Chevelle-List] Someone is about to learn a lesson.
>
> Replies to this message are sent to The Chevelle Mailing List
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I think this is a really powerful and poignant statement. Hat's off to
> Mr.
> Pitts.
>
>
> Subject: What is the meaning of the attack?
>
>
> > BY LEONARD PITTS JR.
> >
> > They pay me to tease shades of meaning from social and
> > cultural issues, to provide words that help
> > make sense of that which troubles the American soul.
> > But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears
> > sting
> > disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say,
> > the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to
> > the
> > unknown author of this suffering.
> >
> > You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.
> >
> > What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's
> > attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us?
> > What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was,
> > please know that you failed.
> >
> > Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned
> > your cause.
> >
> > Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our
> > resolve.
> >
> > Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us
> > together.
> >
> > We are a family
> >
> > Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and
> > quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, cultural,
> > political
> > and class division. We're frivolous, yes.
> >
> > We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability
> > of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of
> > that, we walk through life with a certain sense of
> > blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent,
> > though --
> > peace-loving and compassionate. And we are, the
> > overwhelming majority of us, people of faith,
> > believers in a just
> > and loving God.
> >
> > Perhaps you think that any or all of this makes us
> > weak. We are not weak.
> >
> > Yes, we're in pain now. We're still grappling with the
> > unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to
> > make
> > ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect
> > from some Hollywood blockbuster.
> >
> > Both in terms of the awful scope of its ambition and
> > the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely
> > to go down
> > as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the
> > United States and indeed, the history of the world.
> > You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied
> > before.
> >
> > But there's a gulf of difference between making us
> > bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan
> > was taught to its bitter sorrow. When roused, we are
> > righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When
> > provoked by this level of
> > barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost in
> > the pursuit of justice.
> >
> > Sad, but determined
> >
> > In days to come, there will be recrimination and
> > accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose
> > failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to
> > prevent it from happening again. There will be
> > heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic
> > freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered,
> > chastened, sad. But determined.
> >
> > You see, there is steel beneath this velvet. That
> > aspect of our character is seldom understood by people
> > who don't know us well. On this day, the family's
> > bickering is put on hold. As Americans we will weep,
> > as Americans
> > we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in
> > defense of all that we cherish.
> >
> > Still, I keep wondering what it was you hoped to teach
> > us. Maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of
> > your hatred.
> >
> > If that's the case, consider the message received. And
> > take this message in exchange: You don't know my
> > people. You don't know what we're about. You don't
> > know what you just started.
> >
> > But you're about to learn.
>
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