Reflections On September 11
>
>By Scott Kalechstein, written on September 11th and 12th, 2001
>
>
>"If I understand what Gandhi is saying, nonviolence requires something
>far more difficult than merely turning the other cheek; it requires
>empathizing with the fears and other feelings that provide that impetus
>for people to attack us. Being aware of these feelings we have no desire
>to attack back because we can see the human ignorance leading others to
>attack us; instead, our goal becomes to provide the education for our
>attackers which will enable them to transcend their violence and engage
>in cooperative relationships with us."
>- Marshall Rosenberg
>
>On September 11, 1906, Mahatma Gandhi launched the first mass campaign
>of nonviolent struggle the world had seen, in Johannesburg, South
>Africa.
>
>I am writing this exactly ninety-five years after Gandhi*s actions, the
>day of the terrorist attacks.
>
>I feel sad, shocked and tremendously shaken up by this. At times I also
>feel quite calm, as if I was the center of a hurricane, an Eye of peace
>in the tumultuous storms around me. My focus has been to breathe in the
>suffering of those in pain and breathe out my love and blessings to
>them. A Course In Miracles teaches us over and over that all perceived
>attacks are a call for love in disguise, and that miracles happen when
>that love is given. Today I am sending love. Today I am asking the
>question of God: How can I relate to this event in a way that brings
>healing to the world? And the answer comes in a gentle, powerful and
>earth-shaking whisper: Extend compassion and empathy to everyone
>involved. And everyone is involved. Nobody on earth can pretend they are
>separate from this event. It is that big. What potential for joining and
>healing, movement and evolution!
>
>Rather than just labeling the terrorists as evil, can you imagine the
>consciousness of those who would give rise to such behavior? Can you
>begin to empathize with the pain that would inspire people to hate that
>way? I can. And I believe we must, if healing is to come to our world.
>It is said that if we could read the secret history of our enemies, we
>would find sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all our hostility. I am
>not saying we should accept violence because these people have suffered
>so deeply. Empathy is not an excuse to condone terrorism. It is a way to
>create the climate for healing so it is not repeated.
>
>Those who have experienced horror after horror and know not how to
>grieve, to process the layers of their pain, find their un-cried tears
>hardening into bullets and warfare. All energy moves to expression.
>
>If at all possible, I believe these people must be caught and prevented
>from taking further actions of terrorism. And if force is needed to
>undertake such prevention, so be it. But force as a means to punish or
>to regain power only continues to feed the problem. In Gandhi*s words:
>*An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.*
>
>My hope is that we all allow ourselves to be shaken up by this, shaken
>out of our comfort zones that tower us Americans above the suffering and
>poverty that most of the world experiences. Perhaps all ivory towers of
>separation have to come crashing down for the healing of separateness in
>our world.
>
>If healing is to come, it will come through the consciousness of
>oneness. I am one with the hearts of all the people affected by these
>events. I am one with the people who lost their mates, the children
>whose fathers and mothers didn*t come home. And I am one with the
>tortured hearts of those who took these actions. We are all in this
>together
>
>Here is a question I am pondering: How do these terrorists reflect a
>part of my consciousness? Is there a part of me that believes that
>acting out my anger is justified, and that sometimes it is necessary to
>violate someone to make my point or express my frustrations? Have I ever
>thought that inflicting pain on someone would wake them up, teach them a
>lesson, or accomplish something of value? Do I ever feel so hurting and
>helpless that the best I can do is throw a tantrum? Of course! My
>actions may not ever be as dramatic as what has been acted out on this
>day, but I do own the shadow part of my consciousness that has
>contributed to such events.
>
>The United States has a shadow too. We stampeded across this country
>through the genocide of the Native Americans, and we have contributed to
>violence all throughout the world since then. To the extent that this
>shadow is disowned and denied, a large part the world feels compelled to
>hate us and some even attack us. Just like an individual recovers from
>an addiction, we as a nation need to hit bottom, come out of denial,
>make amends for those whom we have inflicted violence upon, and own our
>weaknesses as well as our strengths. My hope is that the twin towers
>crumbling down can serve as our national bottom.
>
>Are the terrorists evil and is our country an innocent victim? Are
>things ever that black and white?
>
>I would like to quote the words of Michael Moore, who made the movie
>Roger and Me and has been a prominent political and social activist:
>
>*WE created the monster known as Osama bin Laden! Where did he go to
>terrorist school? At the CIA! Don*t take my word for it -- I saw a piece
>on MSNBC last year that showed that when the Soviet Union occupied
>Afghanistan, the CIA trained bin Laden and his buddies in how to commits
>acts of terrorism against the Soviet forces.
>
>We abhor terrorism -- unless we*re the ones doing the terrorizing.
>
>We paid and trained and armed a group of terrorists in Nicaragua in the
>1980s who killed over 30,000 civilians.
>
>We have orphaned so many children, tens of thousands around the world,
>with our taxpayer-funded terrorism (in Chile, in Vietnam, in Gaza, in
>Salvador).
>
>Will we ever get to the point that we realize we will be more secure
>when the rest of the world isn*t living in poverty so we can have nice
>running shoes?
>
>Let*s mourn, let*s grieve, and when it*s appropriate, let*s examine our
>contribution to the unsafe world we live in.
>
>It doesn*t have to be like this*
>
>-Michael Moore
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>Everyone will project his or her issues onto this experience. Some will
>see cause to hate and fear. Some will be motivated to love. Some will
>perceive the end of the world. Some will see it as the beginning of the
>New Age. Many will perceive streams of miracles and blessings showering
>onto earth. It*s all there- the dark, the light, fear, love, victims,
>villains, deaths, beginnings, despair, hope, wounds, healings, tragedy
>and miracles* I would like to close with the words of someone who
>emailed her experiences on Manhattan.
>
>
>I'm sure you have seen the footage by now on TV. What you
>haven't seen and heard is the amazing way the people
>of this city stepped in to help each other in ways
>that make me so happy and proud to live in this city
>and in this country and even in this world. The people
>of New York are an amazing and resilient breed and it
>was breathtaking to witness the kindness, patience and
>generosity of each person helping each other do what
>they needed to do to be safe and to get home.
>
>It is now the morning after and there is a strange
>calm over the city. Virtually everything is closed and
>people that are out are not talking. They are quiet.
>The streets are deserted. There is no looting or
>anything bad going on here right now. There is only
>people showing up to help, people quietly moving
>around, still helping each other in every way they
>can. Many are still in shock, many are looking for a
>way to help, as am I.
>
>If you want to help here, please take time to pray,
>whatever that looks like for you. Please visualize
>peace not only here but throughout the world. Please
>take some time to send love and all your blessings to
>the people who have lost loved ones. Please send
>prayers of light and strength to all those who are
>working around the clock to find survivors and to
>treat those who made it out alive but were injured.
>Send them healing energy. And here's a tough one,
>please send blessings even and especially to those
>people and countries that have done this. To some of
>you that may sound crazy but one of the greatest gifts
>we can give to our world right now is to send love
>into the hearts of people who harbor hatred. They
>clearly need it and we have the power to give it.
>Please find it in your heart to do so.
>
>I thank you for all the love and blessings each of you
>sent my way. I'll keep you posted on things as they
>occur here. I send you light and love as I know that
>this experience has affected you as well. I have you
>in my prayers as well.
>
>Blessings,
>Janice Marie
