posted
i think the evidence is starting to become pretty clear that bin Laden was behind this. We know that he was behind many other attacks on the US (ie Kenya and Tanzinia, the Cole etc.) The Talaban is harboring him and his organization. If they don't turn him over to us, then they are as guilty as he is. The average citizens of Afganistan, however are not. Thus any action we take has to be aimed at bin Laden and the Talaban. Revenge should not be the reason we take them out, but our safety is the reason we take them out. Its clear that if the organization is allowed to go unhindered, that there will be many more attacks like the one on tuesday. The British did not sink the Bismark for revenge over the sinking of the HMS Hood. they sank it to prevent any more ships from being sunk. Bin Laden's organization has to be distroyed root and branch. If it is not, then we will suffer many more attacks in the future. Maybe the next one will be chemical or biological. Yes we should do all we can to prevent collateral damage, and avoid killing civilians. However, many more innocent civilians will die in the long run if we do not act.
Posts: 475 | From: ohio | Registered: May 2001
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posted
I have been really upset about this whole act of terror. Its not right. I mean why did innocent people have to die!!!!! Im in rage now! I can see the images of the plane going thru the building constant. Last night I was watching the news and I get so emotional when I see ppl pleading to find there loved ones. My bf has been supporting me thru this. Hes great.
I just hope this does not get outta hand. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
posted
im not helping out much but i am a little to the red cross. we have a donation box at my work for the red cross and i put all my extra money in it. our local radio staion here is holding a contest for one hundred thousand dollars and instead of giving it away they are donating it to the red cross. i think that it is great, and the red cross themselves are great. my family has dealt with them personally a few times and they have been wonderful.
Posts: 365 | From: dayton,ohio,u.s.a. | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
I cannot honestly say that I don't want some form of retaliation against this terrorism, right now, I'm feeling as if I was personally attacked. I am the stereotypical angry American. I'd enlist now, if asked to.
BUT, after witnessing some real-life hatred between those around and close to me, I have to plead with my fellow Americans not to hate each other. I have heard such HATEFUL and DISTURBING things coming out of the mouths of my high school friends about Arabs in general and Arab people that we know, simply because of their ethnicity. I've never witnessed such behavior, and I'm appalled. It makes me very uncomfortable hearing 10 people bash somebody who sits next to me in English because of the country her parents emmigrated from. So, as corny as it sounds, can we all just support each other in this? Because we're all hurting together.
------------------ "Do what you will, always.. Walk where you like, your steps... Do as you please, I'll back you up.." ~DMB
Posts: 121 | From: Some random suburb.. | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
I am not Muslim, but it is my understanding that the Qur'an (the Muslim holy book, equivalent to the Christian Bible) actually prohibits the killing of innocents.
If you hear anybody expressing hatred against Muslims or Middle Easterners in general, please remind them that a few wackos do NOT represent an entire group of billions of people. More than once in the past few years, high school students have brought guns to school and slaughtered their fellow classmates and teachers. Should we assume, therefore, that all high school students are homocidal nutcases? Of course not!
I was shocked when I heard that a mob in Chicago actually tried to attack a Mosque. Please, if you hear people stereotyping and speaking words of hatred, speak up. The vast majority of the Muslim world is just as shocked, appalled, and sad as everyone else over the destruction of property and innocent lives.
Adding to the amount of senseless hatred in the world will not help anything. It's okay to be angry, but for heaven's sake, be angry at the folks who deserve it--the monsters who did this act, not a group of people as innocent as the victims themselves.
posted
I will never forget that look on my drama teacher's face when she told us the awful news. That tone in her voice and look on her face will always me an image in my mind as well as the images that have been shown on the news.
I spent my whole school day listening to the radio, or sitting in the library watch T.V. I just couldn't and still can't believe that this is happening.
My stomach hurt and I just wanted to scream at the kids who weren't taking this serious. I heard some commment on how cool it was watching that plan fly into the building and others comment on how funny it was that the world was going to end.
There was also alot of kids scared. Living in Wichita, Ks, we are the air capitol of the world, which means we build alot of military planes and was once the home of the B-1 bommer, many thought we were next.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is suffering right now.
We must not be angery but come together as one in this country and be stronge. Together we can get threw this horiable event and live together in peace.
"Freedom itself was attacked by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended."
posted
I have been gone for a few days because our power/ethernet/phone was out over the weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun) due to hurricane Gabrielle, and before that I was, well, wrapped up in news of the horrible events that happened Tuesday.
I don't personally know anyone who was in the WTC (or the pentagon), and so far all of the people that I knew of (people here, people from camp, people from college) are safe. I am very grateful for this and deeply distressed that there are so many who are not as fortunate as I am.
Varied thoughts, none of them unique:
Seeing the world trade towers and the pentagon hit by planes on TV, over and over and over again was nightmarishly surreal. I am angry that I have seen the towers blown up before, that I have seen the pentagon blown up before, that I have seen the white house blown up before... up close, in full color, looking much more vivid and "real"--and all pretend, all carefully orchestrated for the movies. And this time it was, IS real. This time there were thousands of people in the towers.
I'm not specifically angry at "hollywood" or any given writer/director/producer. I realize that I don't have to watch movies where things explode. I am angry about this anyway.
The response of the "american people" has surprised and astonished me. The many, many people who gave their lives for their fellow citizens--not just the officers and firefighters, but "regular people," construction workers, the airline passengers who struggled with the hijackers. The fact that the Red Cross has to urge people NOT to give any more blood until they start to deplete the current overstock. The outpouring of plain old cash. The signs lining every highway, the flags, the comments on every website, newsfeed, e-mail, the tribute comic strips and entertainment programs and blog posts and random rants. The candle light vigils. Just everything. I'm very impressed, and very very proud, which is not really something I've felt before, in general or about this country particularly.
This is balanced by my deep fear and alarm at the rhetoric that I am reading in the newspapers and hearing on TV. The hurricane and resultant brief lack of utilities on campus made it even more of a shock today when I began to read the news and realized how far things have progressed in such a short time. Too many headlines with the word "war." WHO are we at war with, exactly, and exactly why? There's no answer to those questions yet.
I could talk about some specific statements and policies and trends and enactments, but I don't believe that this is the forum for that, and frankly, if things continue to progress at this rate and intensity I will not feel safe making any of my objections known. I will say that while a global crackdown on terrorism is a right and appropriate response--terrorism is unequivocally evil and wrong--there is no way that I know of that this can be accomplished without severely limiting personal freedom, of everyone, world wide. This also scares me.
I am also afraid for my arab-american friends and acquaintances, in light of the recent violence against them.
posted
I just thought I'd post a few of my thoughts here. I went to a candlelight vigil tonight, organized by the Americans staying at my college, and I spoke to a few of them afterwards, and I found myself saying "This wasn't an attack on America, it was an attack on all of us" and then I had to stop, and think about what I meant by that. Who is all of us? When I think about it "all of us" really does mean just that- everyone in the world. But then, there are people in the world who have lived with that sort of fear for their whole lives, and as such, I have to think that ANY sort of thing like this, whether it happens in America, or any other place in the world, and I mean ANY other place, is an attack on "all of us". It's just that the enormity of this one, the fact that it hit where people didn't think they were vulnerable, it's woken people up who were asleep and left them wandering blindly in the dark. And I think that I was one of the people who was asleep, because I'd hear about horrible things happening like this and be able to pass it off with an "oh that's horrible". So I had to ask myself, why did the events on the 11th affect me more than these other things I've heard about? The only answer is that I was only paying the idea of "awareness" a lip service.
Yes, I think that September 11th was an attack on all of us, but I think that we have to realize that all forms of terrorism are an attack on all of us, where-ever they occur, and whomever they hurt, whether CNN considers them newsworthy or not.
Some people knew this already, and I really wish that more people (myself included) had been able to be aware of this WITHOUT something like this having to happen.
It's very tempting, I think, to go back to sleep, to try to feel strong and invulnerable, to react in "strong and invulnerable" ways. But I don't think that will do anyone any good. Personally, I just hope that I can stay awake, because I'm angry at myself for being alseep for so long. Please don't take this as a judgement call on anyone else, I'm just talking about me here.
One thing I really liked about the vigil tonight was that it did bring a strong message of peace, and while I'd be a hypocrite if I called myself a complete pacifist, I do think that you can show strength through peace, because you can't fight violence with violence- by its very definition, the means defeats the end.
I'm rambling now, so I think I'll just leave off- they're just a few thoughts that have been running through my head over the past week, most of which I've shared with people at different times, but I just wanted to write them all down, and thought this would be an appropriate place to do it, since I don't keep a journal.
posted
To all in and around the NYC, Pittsburgh, and WA DC areas, I offer you my greatest sympathies. There is so much I want to do. As a broke 16 year old, I can't offer my financial support. I would if I could. I'd offer my blood, but I would pass out giving it. I am contimplating just doing it. But I can and I do offer my prayers to everyone.
This was sent to me in my e-mail. I find it very un-nerving.
"There will be a great thunder, Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb, The third big war will begin when the big city is burning." - Nostradamus, 1654
It was sent to me compared to these things:
The great thunder is the planes, the Two brothers the twin towers, the fortress the United States, the great leader is those responsible, and the big city is New York.
In the event of a war, there is the horrible possibility of a draft. The people I have grown up with, given a gun and stuck somewhere away from home, told to point and shoot. My mother had vietnam. My grandmother had World War II. My generation has this.
Mizpah: May the lord keep watch between me and thee, While we are absent one from the other.
Posts: 2789 | From: The Evergreen State | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
I hate to show you this DarkChild (well, actually, I'm quite pleased to) but according to most credible information that I can find on the Internet, the Nostradamus stuff is incorrect.
According to this link Nostradamus died in 1566, so there's now way such a thing attributed to him in 1654 could be true. At the link, there's lots of other "predictions" from the man that were later found to be hoaxes.
posted
Another thing you have to remember with Nostradamus is that it's very easy to interpret his words to mean whatever you like. Also, I've heard a lot of people quoting prophecies that involve conflict in the middle east- and there has been conflict in the middle east for an awful long time- it wouldn't have been a great speculative leap for him to say "there will be conflict in the middle east in the future", just as (sadly) it would probably not be a speculative leap for us today to say the same thing.
Posts: 2710 | From: Australia | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
OK first of all i wanna say God Bless everyone in the world... this is not just about America but about the whole world...I remeber exactly how I found out about this horriffic event- I was in school, Language Arts class, and the principal came on the intercom and told all teachers to turn OFF there TV's.... we didnt no why becoz we didnt have our tv's on... well then during lunch 2 periods later.... i hear that the WTC have been bombed... i was really confused and angered that our school wouldnt let us watch it, we should have known what was goin on rite then... Well then when i got hom i got filled in on the real news... i was still confused but it didnt really sink in.. then i had a normal day and went to bed, the the next day school was entirely different... eeryone was kinda in a trance, and we had flags everywhere in rooms and on the doors, in Language we had to write a paper on how we felt, it was really hard for me explain how i felt on paper, i was never very good at that... all i knew was that i was sad, angry, and extremely confused.. Now i understand what is happening, i dont no why but i kinda understand i cry alot and I am in ohio, i really didnt no anyone in Ny, except for a girl named Sigma that i met in Florida last year, she worked for the NY stock market, i cant get ahold of her so i am worried, i will rpolly never no if she is ok or not... i have pictures of her and i look at them and just wonder.... i am so upset, i hve donated my money, which isnt alot becoz i am only 14, i wanna do sumthin to help but i really cant, i just pray and now i look to God more than I ever have.... I am so upset... and i no retaliation may not be the rite thing, violence never is but i for some reason do feel the need for revenge, we cant jus sit here and act like npothing happened, becoz it did, and the terrorists must pay.... the US will not stand Terrorism anymore.... God bless and much love to you all....
*We hear you, the world hears you, and now the people who did this to us will hear you very soon*- George W. Bush
And what a way to return, eh? Scarleteen was one of the first virtual places I thought about on the 11th. I hope everyone's okay.
Love to you all, and blessings on your family and friends.
------------------ *When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities. -From "Basic Sex Facts For Today's Youngfolk" in "Life In Hell'', by (Matt Groening)
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