Mike wrote: > 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*********** ******************** 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***********
