In a message dated 10/21/01 5:35:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Anith@wfp.org
writes:
<< Even as a non-US citizen, it has become difficult for me to come to terms
with the events that killed nearly 7000 innocent people- most of who were
Americans. But on a comparative note, I have but to admit that the affect
on normal daily life in the US appears to have not been as great as it had
been in 1941. . . . >>
As a non-citizen I can understand how you might not notice how America has
changed and how our daily routines have been greatly affected. In World War
II the enemy was a nation, in this war the enemy is an idea. In World War II
the enemy had ships, planes and tanks, in today's war the enemy moves
peacefully among us in disguise, seemly embracing those advantages freedom
affords us, waiting for the right moment to strike. The response to this
new war has been just as different as the war itself and for good reasons.
If we prosecuted the war as we did in 1941, no doubt all Arab-Americans would
find themselves in guarded camps, isolated from the general population and
Arab peoples on travel visas would be immediately deported or subject to
arrest when faint evidence points their possible criminal connections. But,
we have learned from our past mistakes and we have decided to take a more
restrained and prudent approach. We now blatantly assume the risks
associated with protecting that segment of our ethnic Arab society.
Our tactical response has been just as thoughtful. We did not react in anger
and take to the streets as angry mobs bent on hateful vengeance, that is
their way, not ours. Instead, we patiently sorted through the evidence as we
burried our dead and used our every resource, until the evil ones were known.
Then we made great efforts to bring them to justice without engaging a
sovereign nation who may have given them safe harbour. When that diplomatic
effort failed and after many attempts to seek a peaceful resolution, we went
forward with a great effort at minimizing death and injury to innocent people
caught between evil and justice.
At home, people were asked by our president to go about life as best we
could, to travel, to use the airports, to work in tall buildings and in all
ways, to endure the risks associated with this new terrorist war on American
soil. We did that and we shall continue to do that, despite the current
attacks and threats of worse to come. To people on the outside, this
restraint and business as usual might be misinterpreted as a sort of national
indifference, that we lack the firey passion of days gone by, but nothing
could be further from the truth
Our will and our passion is tempered only by a new reality founded in the
wisdom learned by our mistakes. We will not play into the hands of a
maniacal zealot like Osam bin Laden. Or his followers now bent on a global
conflagration in the name of their religion. A religion perverted by those
people who would use it to their own ends and against innocent women and
children, indiscriminately and without hesitation. We know if they would fly
a plane loaded with people into a building packed with yet more innocent
people, they would not have hesitated one moment to have used a nuclear
weapon if they had one, this is their mentality and what makes them so
dangerous to the world. We also know they are seeking such a weapon as is
their friend, Saddam Hussein who is offering a billion dollars for one
nuclear device. Yet, outwardly we go about business as usual.
If you were to walk around my small town, which up till Sept. 11th was quite
liberal and full of university students who were always quick to find fault
with America, you will now see flags flying everywhere. The short sighted
leftist student rhetoric we've come to expect, has been replaced by a
consensus approval rating of 90% in favor of the president! I never thought
I would see the day when 90% of us would agree on anything, let alone for a
president who received a razor slim majority of the vote last election. This
is our level of unity! You cannot engage anyone in conversation for more
than a few minutes without the subject of terrorism coming up and an
expressed resolved will to see it through.
We know we are all at ground zero here, but that doesn't stop us from trying
to live our lives as best we can. We feel it's our duty to our friends and
family, to our country and to civilized people everywhere to go about the
business of living. To that end, we are heartened and strengthened by our
friends, new and old, that have come forward to join with us to wipe out this
evil and bring justice, as best we could, to those who paid the ultimate
price at the hands of that evil entity.
We fully understand this will not be easy, for we are fighting an idea.
History has taught us that once an idea has taken root, even if it is evil
and wrong, it is difficult to stop. But, if this evil force had to attack
anyone, it may just as well have been us. Because we are a nation made
strong by a good idea. Our "idea" says in essence, everyone should be
entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that these are
inalienable rights. They believe in purifying the world by killing those who
do not hold to their perverted and fanatical ideas of Islam. We believe in
dying to protect our freedoms, they believe in killing us for what they
believe and wish to impose on us. There could be no more contrast and
clarity between good and evil than these two opposing ideas now at war. I
can guarantee you this, only one of those ideas will prevail and that good
will triumph over evil. Maybe then it will again truly be business as usual?
Personally, I look forward to that day. God bless America.
Jack Lee
Chico, California
PS Obligatory MV content.. I'm finishing up my new mil-veh web site on AOL
Hometown, address is http://hometown.aol.com/jaxincalifornia/Volvopage.html.
I know there was a spelling error, but can't fix it right now for some
reason, aol editor would not let me in!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Dec 07 2001 - 00:36:27 PST