etee's Blog

Sept 13, 2001: It is strange, sitting here just over 48 hours
since the events of Sept. 11, 2001 - a date which will live on, etched
in the minds of all of us who witnessed these unspeakable acts of cowardice
and terror, and the response of people worldwide - from horror to heroism,
from crying and anger to celebration and jubilation. I remember sitting
there, hour after hour, wishing I could do something - anything -
to undo the damage that was done, or to exact retribution for the
hurt that was caused to others. Unfortunately, I am not even able to
donate blood at this time, so that avenue is not open to me. However,
one talent I do have is the ability to speak (write) what is on my mind,
so my contribution will be to put some thoughts down in bytes for others
to read. While I am not sure that anything I can say will have a significant
(or any) influence on people or events as they progress, it is good
therapy for me - and if it has a positive impact on anyone who reads
it, so much the better.

...

Thought #1: "It could have been worse." After watching
the images of a fully-fueled jetliner slamming into the side of a 110-story
building, and later watching that building collapse to the ground on
top of the folks who were trying to rescue those trapped inside, it
is hard to think of this being true. However, consider this: a vial
of any one of a number of terrible biological agents, released in one
or more of the major airports or in the middle of lower Manhattan (or
any other major metropolitan area, for that matter), could have resulted
in far more casualties, on a larger scale, than the final death toll
from Tuesday will be. There are reports of the existence of nuclear
bombs that are no bigger than a suitcase. The thought of New York, or
Washington, or Chicago, or any other city in the aftermath of either
a nuclear, biological, or chemical attack still sends chills through
me. It doesn't make me happy that we "only" lost the WTC and part of
the Pentagon, and all those people, but it helps to bring a perspective
to this - which is very important.

Thought #2: "Be careful what you ask for, you might just
get it." There is talk of war in the land. Here in the US, and
in other countries, we hear folks talking about "acts of war" and "a
war on terrorism" and that we are in "a state of war". We hear comparisons
made to the attack on Pearl Harbor. I have no problem with seeking
out and punishing those responsible for these attacks. The hijackers
themselves have already paid with their lives for what they have
done, and it is my belief that when they stand before Allah, He will
deal with them better than we ever could. As for the motherless nutjobs
who masterminded and bankrolled the operation, I have no problems with
hunting them down and erasing them from the face of the earth.

However, we need to remember this: in war, people get killed. Innocent
people get killed. If their deaths are going to mean anything (if that
is even possible), we need to make sure we have the resolve to see the
battle through to a successful conclusion - that is, the unconditional
surrender of the enemy, be it a sovereign nation-state, an organization,
or an individual person. While we must not allow our sense of decency
to prevent us from doing what we must, we must also not allow ourselves
to decide that "the end justifies the means" - that since "they" murdered
thousands of innocent civilians, it is OK for us to do the same. While
there will be "collateral damage", it is incumbent on us to conduct
this war in a responsible manner - otherwise history will be our harshest
judge.

I have read on several Web sites where people are afraid this may escalate
into World War III - and we are not out of the woods on that regard
yet. I would much rather see mushrooms growing in the front yard of
my son's school, than see a mushroom cloud growing high into the atmosphere
over where it used to be.

Thought #3: "Know your enemy - and focus on your enemy."
Ever since war changed from being the pastime of royalty and nobility,
fought by mercenary armies and under-employed nobles, to became a matter
for entire nations, we have seen a dangerous attitude manifested. In
order to overcome our horror of war, we have been trained to think of
our enemies as less than human - as vermin worthy of extinction, much
like the cockroaches that invade our homes. We all know what happened
to the Jews, the Slavs, the Romanis, and other "subhumans" in Nazi Germany
and the territories they occupied. We have heard of the atrocities committed
by the Japanese. We know of the horrors of the "killing fields" in
Cambodia during the reign of the Khmer Rouge .

This "demonization" of our adversaries has not left the US untouched..
During WWI, "patriotic" Americans who had German names often changed
them. During WWII, Americans of Japanese descent were placed into prison
camps, and their property was confiscated, for no other reason than
their racial/ethnic background. Admiral "Bull" Halsey, on seeing the
carnage at Pearl Harbor, is said to have remarked "When we are done,
the only place the Japanese language will be spoken is in Hell." There
was talk of eradicating, through forced sterilization, the entire
German race after the Nazi surrender - apparently with full knowledge
of General Eisenhower, himself a German-American. During the Korean
and Vietnam conflicts, terms such as "gook" were often used to refer
to the people native in that region, regardless of which side they were
on. Yesterday, I heard a person being interviewed, who spoke about
"eliminating an entire culture." - guess which culture he was referring
to. This is extremely disturbing, folks.

My point here is simple: it is very easy, in our time of anger, to
choose our targets unwisely - and in doing so, to hurt our own cause.
While the sight of women and children in the Palestinian Territories
celebrating made me angry, the proper response is not to carpet-bomb
their village into oblivion. Even though an Arab was most likely piloting
the planes that crashed into the WTC and the Pentagon, we have no cause
to shoot the taxi driver, the store keeper, the engineer, the neighbor -
just because they happen to be of the same race. Just because the
terrorists were followers of Islam, we have no right to shoot up or
bomb or deface the mosque down the street. We must continue to
value the diversity of our people - and to teach our children to do
the same. To act otherwise is to lower ourselves to the level of those
whose actions we so despise, and to set the stage for a continuation
of the vicious circle that has engulfed the Middle East, and indeed
the entire world.

While "demonizing" your opponents may be a tried & true political tactic,
it is fraught with danger. It makes the perpetrator appear to be nothing
more than a two-bit rabble-rouser. It raises the level of fear and
uncertainty in the target (as a native Houstonian who has traveled to
California since their politicians started ranting about the energy
crisis, I should know.) Use it at your own peril. Resist its influence
as much as you can.

Thought #4: "Our freedom is our strength." I have already
been hearing on the TV something much more frightening to me than the
thought of war, or even the thought of being in a hijacked airliner
(which, as a frequent flyer, is a very scary thought for me.) Our own
politicians, our own commentators, our own people, proclaiming that
"we have too much freedom, and we need to give up our personal liberties/rights
in order to become [more] secure." Now, don't misunderstand
me: I have no problems with additional security at airports, or with
losing the "right" to carry a pocket knife on board, or with losing
the "right" to have my family walk with me to the gate, or with losing
the "right" to walk into a government building without passing through
a metal detector. Those are simply inconveniences - and minor ones,
at that. No, what I am talking about is those smooth-talkers who will
try and convince us that basic liberties and freedoms must be abolished,
or restricted, in the name of "collective security." Freedoms such
as: the right to speak one's mind (even - especially - when the
opinions expressed are unpopular or "different"); the right to worship
God as (or even if) one chooses; the right to protect oneself, ones
family, and ones property from predators - human or animal - by whatever
means are necessary (including the use of deadly force, where justified)
according to the dictates of ones conscience; the right to live ones
life without excessive interference from those who feel it is their
"duty" to micromanage every move of every other person; the right to
be treated with human dignity and respect at all times, regardless of
the circumstances; the right to freedom from persecution based on our
race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, or just because we
are "different"; the right to communicate with others without having
the government intercept that communication without a valid court order;
the right to live where I want to (and can afford), associate with whom
I please, and dress the way I am most comfortable. To those who would
strip me of these freedoms, regardless of political leaning, I say this:
"Read My Lips - Consume Excrement And Perish!"

Thought #5: "Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down." One
piece of advice I have heard and read, which I try really hard to stay
focused on, is not to allow what has happened to keep us depressed,
to make us afraid to live our lives to the fullest. Otherwise, they
win. My son, who just started high school last month, is upset because
he is not able to wear his ROTC uniform to the football game - as it
would make him more of a target. Now, when my older brother had to
avoid wearing his USAF uniform in certain areas of foreign countries
for the same reason, I could understand it - but it seems so strange,
somehow, that my son has the same restriction put on him, here in the
US. However, I have told him I still want him to attend the game, to
act just as he would have otherwise - to cheer and yell for his team,
to stand with his fellow students, to enjoy the competition the same
as if Tuesday had never happened. While I understand the need to grieve
(I feel it, myself), the goal of "terrorists" is to force us to change
our way of life - and if we succumb to that pressure, we lose. If we
resist, we not only win, but we come out stronger.

Thought #6: "What Really Matters." It is interesting
to note that the "terrorist" nutjobs attacked symbols of our economic
and military power - showing us that, like our enemies in earlier wars,
they really don't understand what makes America ... America. They are
afraid - or jealous - of our financial well-being, and fearful of our
military might. Admiral Yamamoto, after being congratulated for the
attack on Pearl Harbor, is said to have remarked "I am afraid that we
have awakened a sleeping giant." He got it. And, his government would
have done the Japanese people a far better service if they had listened
to him before running off to play war with the US. Furthermore, Osama
bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and others of their ilk would have done well
to have listened - for it seems that, having failed to learn from history,
they are doomed to repeat it.

Thought #7: "American Heroes & Role Models." Over the
past decades, we have elevated to hero status many people, and we look
up to these and others as role models for ourselves and our children.
Some of these people are deserving of this role; others aren't (many
by their own admission.) This week, we have seen a whole new group
of heroes & role models come forth. The police, firefighters, medical
personnel, construction workers, and others who risked their lives to
help rescue people from the rubble; the passengers on the hijacked airliner
who, upon learning of the fate of the other flights, acted to prevent
a further tragedy from happening; the folks who have lined up, day after
day, to donate blood for those who may need it; those in business who,
faced with the opportunity to make an extra buck off of others' misery,
have stood up and said "no" to price gouging; those who have opened
their restaurants, stores, and homes to rescue workers. These folks,
whether citizens or not, are truly "American Heroes" and their actions
should serve as an inspiration to us all.

A Final Thought: I remember flying into Newark last February,
seeing the skyline of Manhattan, including the WTC towers, behind the
Statue of Liberty. I was saddened by the fact that I was unable to
get a picture at that time. It still saddens me - for that is a sight
I will never be able to see again.

However, when I think back on the images that are burned into my memory
since Tuesday, the one that stands out most isn't the image of the airliner
slamming into the WTC - it isn't the burning Pentagon - it isn't the
collapse of the towers - it isn't the sight of people running in terror.
The image I will forever remember is the sight of the skyline of Manhattan,
shrouded in smoke, with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground, still
standing there on its island in the harbor, welcoming one and all with
the following inscription:

The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
with conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
a mighty woman with a torch

whose flame is imprisoned lightning,

and her name Mother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand glows
world-wide welcome;

her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor
that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands your storied pomp!"

cries she with silent lips.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tos't to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)

This, truly, is the spirit of America - the real "Eighth Wonder of the
World".

And so, my friends, it isn't a matter of whether or not we will win
this struggle - for we have already won. We only have to claim
the victory that is rightfully ours.

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Sept. 21, 2001 update: I have received a drawing via email which I consider to be absolutely remarkable. It is reported to have been made by a student in Pennsylvania. I have chosen to put it up on this site, as it contains a very powerful message which fits very well with the theme of this page. If the person responsible for this drawing will contact me, I will be more than happy to give proper credit for the drawing. At this time, however, all I can say is Thank You for your inspiration, and God Bless You, whoever you are.

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(Webmaster's Note: This page, dedicated to
those who lost their lives in the tragic events which took place on
September 11, 2001, will remain as the home page of this site for 28
days, until October 11, 2001.)

(Webmaster's Note: I have chosen not to include
a photo of the image I described on the page, due to copyright restrictions.