Posted by HH on September 11, 2001 at 10:30:50:
In Reply to: A moment of silence for the people who died this morning...................................................................................... posted by Sorc on September 11, 2001 at 09:39:52:
First of all, please accept my
support and condolances for the losses to your nation. Terrorism is always
reprehensible, but never more so than when directed with no warning against
those not engaged in any kind of conflict.
I've been watching the coverage on CNN and the BBC for the last couple of
hours or so, and I've got to say that I have been honestly impressed both at the
professional way in which they have handled their topic and at the response of
the American people. Citizens of New York and Washinton appear to have reacted
to horror with courage and compassion. Emergency services appear to have done
everything they possibly could to minimise the harm that has been caused, even
at considerable cost to their own number. This is true heroism, and it is always
to be cherished even - especially - amidst tragedy.
I heard author Tom Clancy being interviewed on CNN. Clancy's novel "Debt of
Honor" described a terrorist attack on the Capitol by hijacked 747, which now
looks eerily prescient. But I was most impressed by Clancy's comments. He
reminded people that America was a land of tolerance, that if this was, as
suspected, an act perpetrated by fundamental Muslim fanatics then it was not the
act of a whole religion (a faith which emphasises a god of love and justice) but
of criminal madmen, and that America's wrath should be directed at those who
planned and made possible the attacks, not on whole peoples. As Clancy said,
that is the difference between the good guys and the bad guys.
Terrorism works through unexpected cowardly attacks and succeeds if those
attacks force changes that the terrorists want to see happen. It is already
clear that in this case the terrorism has failed, and that the murder of
hundreds, possibly thousands, was of no benefit to the terrorists and their
objectives. In fact it may signal the era of new co-operation to prevent any
such acts again, and to stern countermeasures which will send clear messages to
those who might contemplate terrorist acts in future. I hope that such will be
the case, because no matter how good an argument an oppressed group might have
(e.g. with Northern Ireland), once they resort to murder as a political tool
they have lost the moral high ground and lost their cause.
Anyway, for what it is worth you have our support and prayers. Your nation
has so far shown its greatness in the way it has borne its loss.
IW