Unfortunately, the wrong words. We need now to be asking: why do so many around the
world detest us? Both
the the USA and the UK have wrought terror on the world with their arrogant and
aggressive foreign policies.
We funded Osama Bin Laden through the CIA. We supported the Mujahideen and the
Taliban. We play games with
other peoples' wars. We support Israel through thick and thin in its oppression and
murder of the
Palestinian people. Britain created this malevolent state and the USA props it up. We
have killed hundreds
of thousands of Iraqi children through sanctions -- the same is beginning to happen in
Afghanistan (a fact
that goes some way to explaining why the main export they have left is illicit opium).
If there is one question we should be asking in the wake of this disgusting waste of
human life, it is not
"how", but "why". When I travel abroad, I describe myself as Irish rather than
British, because I don't want
to be associated with the crimes my country inflicts upon the world. We arrogantly
stalk the world in the
guise of global policemen. Talk of hatred and revenge will not help. A precipitate and
hasty response will
only increase the hatred. Our laser guided missiles during the Gulf war hit hospitals
and air raid shelters.
We treat peoples of other nations as collateral damage.
The quote you sent talks of the USA (and, presumably, your junior partner, Britain) as
"fundamentally decent
[...] peace-loving and compassionate". I do not see this in our foreign policy, and
nor do the peoples of
the Middle East. We saw the scenes of celebration in the West Bank and Gaza -- we need
to learn from this.
They remember Sabra and Shatila -- do we? They hate us not because of what we are, but
because of what we
have done.
Your quote talks of "the steel in us" -- perhaps it would be better to talk of our
humanity and our ability
to learn from our mistakes. Your quote says: "You don't know what you just started" --
we need to realise
that we started it long ago. Your quote says "you're about to learn" -- we are the
ones who need to learn.
Quinn McCoy wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kyle M. Baker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "Old Purple" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 4:41 PM
> Subject: Fwd: someone finally found the words
>
> >
> > --- Scott Michaud <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > From: "Scott Michaud" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > Subject: someone finally found the words
> > > Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 16:49:08 -0400
> > >
> > >
> > > Miami Herald: Editorial to the Terrorists Responsible
> > >
> > > Published Wednesday, September 12, 2001
> > > The Miami Herald
> > > Leonard Pitts
> > >
> > > We'll go forward from this moment.
> > >
> > > It's my job to have something to say.
> > >
> > > They pay me 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.
> > >
> > > Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a
> > > family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a
> family
> > >
> > > nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous
> > > emotional
> > > energy on pop cultural minutiae -- a singer's revealing dress, a ball
> > > team's
> > > misfortune, a cartoon mouse. 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. We
> > > struggle
> > > to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming
> > > majority
> > > of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God.
> > >
> > > Some people -- you, perhaps -- think that any or all of this makes us
> > > weak.
> > > You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that
> > > cannot
> > > be measured by arsenals.
> > >
> > > IN PAIN
> > > Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. 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, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy
> > > novel.
> > > Both in terms of the awful scope of their 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 probably, 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 the last
> > > time
> > > anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and
> > > monumental pain. 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, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice. I
> > > tell
> > > you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I
> > > think,
> > > do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with
> dread
> > > of
> > > the future.
> > >
> > > In the 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, too. Unimaginably determined.
> > >
> > >
> > > THE STEEL IN US
> > > You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. 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.
> > >
> > > So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that
> > > 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 capable of. You don't
> > > know
> > > what you just started.
> > >
> > > But you're about to learn.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at
> > > http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
> > >
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo!
> Messenger
> > http://im.yahoo.com
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> > oldpurple-l list provided by SPY internetworking - http://www.spy.net
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
>
> ********************
>
> Unsubscribe by sending a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's body, put
>the following text:
>
> unsubscribe OTlist
>
> ------
>
> OTnow messages are archived at:
>
> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] (and)
> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
>
> ********rC***********
********************
Unsubscribe by sending a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's body, put
the following text:
unsubscribe OTlist
------
OTnow messages are archived at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] (and)
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
********rC***********
