The Scourge of Terrorism |
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 |
| In the aftermath of horrific events like
today's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I find
myself overwhelmed with a variety of emotions. At first, I was totally
stunned as I watched events unfold. I just couldn't believe what I was
seeing. Next, as I considered the tragic cost in human life, a pervasive
sadness nudged my shock to the side. With the realization that these acts
must have been the result of a heinous terrorist plan, anger, fury and rage
added themselves to the list. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I had
nothing to vent my anger on. Finally, awash in all the images of
devastation, numbness sets in. |
|
| What possesses a human being to wreak such
destruction on others? Is there a justification that is comprehensible to
the sane mind? I believe we have an obligation to attempt to grasp the
motivations behind such acts, but we also need to accept the fact that some
things just can't be understood. After considering the purported rationales
offered by acknowledged terrorist groups, I still can't accept such wanton
theft of human life. It's incomprehensible to me. |
|
| So, what are we to do? Is retribution an
acceptable response? How about taking action to decisively deter future
cowardly acts? Have those who celebrate the mass destruction perpetrated by
these cowards forfeited the protection of our innate humanity and
compassion? And how about those who have harbored and at least tacitly
supported the actions of those responsible for today's unbelievable crimes?
|
|
| Have our enemies effectively declared war on
the United States? |
|
| Enough of the questions, here are my own
thoughts: Warfare evolves, and we need to recognize that organized and
formal armies, navies and air forces are not the only means of carrying out
a war. There is no difference between sending large numbers of conventional
armaments into the United States to destroy the heart of our financial
district and taking thousands of lives, and doing it with an airliner
instead, other than the inherent cowardliness of the act. War has been
declared on the United States, and we need to respond appropriately.
Unfortunately, the first task, aside from dealing with the residue of the
attacks, is determining the identity of this craven enemy. Once that's
settled, though, we need to run them to ground and wreak our own havoc on
the enemy forces. |
|
| And those who have turned a blind eye to our
enemy's actions, and provided them with safe haven before and after this
gutless attack, are equally responsible. All too often in America, both in
our day-to-day personal lives and in our corporate and national
interactions, people look us in the eye and lie to us, or give us weak
excuses for their transgressions, and we accept it. And as a result, people
take advantage of us, and now our failure to hold people accountable for
their actions have cost us thousands of lives, and billions of dollars in
damages. We must stop excusing such behavior. If you lead me to believe
something that isn't true, then you're lying. To me, it's just that simple. |
|
| When we've identified those involved in this
attack, we must hit back against those who planned, funded, participated in
or supported this act of war, either actively or passively. We've taken
"measured responses" enough times in the past to prove that they don't work.
This is a war, and has been for several years despite the fact that we've
failed to recognize it as such. It's time to take the battle to the enemy.
If their forces are willing to die for their cause, then so be it. Just be
sure that we're the ones who determine the time and the method of that
death. If we don't, then we will continue to suffer this type of carnage. |
|
| Whether we want it to be or not, this is a
fight to the death. It's vital that we win under those terms. |
|