I did not intend to offend anyone by forwarding this message. It gave me a
brief, but so-welcome feeling of faith in the strength of my country during
a time when I am feeling intensely frightened and vulnerable. Also, as I
provide therapy services to our Air Force Base and have to answer the
questions of the children whose parents are readying for "anything" ...well,
this whole matter is nearly unbearable. I do realize that the editorial was
mostly "tough talking" and did not take every single statement to heart. It
was just a feeling of pride that I was hoping to share.
I will be more cautious about participating in this list and will limit any
comments to those relating directly to OT practice.
Again, I apologize.
QMcCoy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 3:29 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: someone finally found the words
> 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
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________
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> > >
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