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The End of Innocence

Without a doubt the morning of Tuesday September 11, 2001 will not soon be forgotten. It had been one of the most disturbing scenes ever shown on live television. Many of us have the image of a commercial jet flying directly into the World Trade Center Towers. We all watched in shock and horror as two 110 story architectural marvels collapsed and fell into the streets of New York City. Our collective jaws dropped as the Pentagon was burning ferociously. Images of thick black smoke pouring over New Yorkers, images of firemen and policemen attempting to make order from chaos, images of another plane in pieces no larger than this computer screen strewn over western Pennsylvania, images of Palestinians celebrating in the streets, of the President moving about on Air Force One, of Senators and Congressmen singing “God Bless America”, of people leaping from unimaginable heights to escape the blaze in the World Trade Center.

There were different reactions as well. Some Americans wanted to immediately start firing cruise missiles and launching sorties. “We could do the damage then sort out the facts later,” they thought with fiery anger. Others were emotionally struck and saddened by those images and their inability to comprehend why anyone would want to fly a jet into a skyscraper. Still others were in complete shock, silent, and unknowing. Some were very calm, as if being cool and collected for someone else also helped them to cope with utter tragedy. Some turned immediately to God for answers, others were left wondering where God was on September 11, 2001. Faith and blame were being placed anywhere and everywhere imaginable. Some held faith in the Federal Government, in the President, we all heard the phrase “continuity of government” many times over. Some put their faith in Religion, or in the basic good they saw in their fellow man. Many were just as quick to place blame. Some blamed the intelligence community, airport security, the President, past Presidents, the entire Arab population, the entire Jewish population, and so on.

There was also a sense of togetherness that pervaded the nation. Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, Americans, Canadians, Germans, Japanese, etc. all joined together to express what they called “one voice.” Firemen, policemen, everyday New Yorkers came to each other’s aid. Blood bank lines were hours in waiting. Money and goods have been donated to the Red Cross, the New York Firemen Association, and the Salvation Army. Americans, it seemed, could unite not only against a common foe, but to lend a hand to their fellow man. Yet, we also witnessed some disgusting behavior as well. Gas prices soared, some gas stations were charging as much as $4.00 per gallon. The AAA called such pricing “gouging” yet many lined up to purchase gas at extraordinary prices. Mosques were attacked and threatened as were Americans of Arabic descent and Islamic faith.

This brings me to my overall points. I do believe that we can make some good come out of this terrible and awful travesty. The Government has already taken steps to ensure our safety as air travelers and our safety as everyday American citizens. Yet, we as a people can do more than just sit and watch as procedures are changed. We have three principles I think we need to establish to help us to allow good to triumph over evil from this attack.

We need to stand together as Americans and have absolutely no tolerance for racist attacks on ANY American. I’m talking about Palestinians, Jews, Arabs, Moslems, Christians, Europeans, Africans…it does not matter. We are all people on this world and if anything should demonstrate that it is the tragedy we have all witnessed.

 We need to understand that we are a part of a global system. That means that a child’s life in Zimbabwe is just as important as a child’s life in the United States. That means that if you follow moral principles in your dealings with Canada, then you must follow those same principles in your dealings with the Dominican Republic. We should no longer watch the world news and witness unspeakable travesties committed against peoples of other nation, and then change the channel out of apathy. We can no longer allow other people to suffer (sometimes as a result of our own nation’s policies) without a care. Many nations have spoke up on our behalf and for our concern on this terrible day, can we afford to view their people with any less concern?

Lastly, we need to change our government’s view of the world. This government has helped people like Augusto Pinochet and Anastasio Somoza kill, hurt, and destroy average citizens of their states. People that were no different than those who lost their lives in New York or Washington. We sent funds and arms to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua, weapons that were in turn used to massacre entire villages. Indeed some of the people you saw on your televisions expressing their concern for our citizens were in some ways no better than the terrorists themselves. Take some of the Israeli leaders, many of whom would proudly stand up and tell you how they helped blow up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Take Mr. Arafat, a known terrorist himself. Take the Kenyan leader, a former Mau-Mau, famous for walking into villages and decapitating every living thing with machetes. If we denounce terrorism, let us do it UNIVERSALLY! Let us no longer support people and groups whose activities are no less evil than those of the terrorists on Sept. 11. President Bush stood up and declared that any nation who harbors or aids in terrorists is responsible for those terrorists. Fine. Let’s start with the United States, what about the wealthy Irish businessmen in the Northeast who financially support the IRA or maybe a Protestant Irish terrorist group? What about Americans that cheered and helped steer funds to terrorist groups in Central and South America? Indeed there was an evil that pervades, but let us not forget that we as a nation have contributed to that evil….NOW WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOOD!

Maybe this was just my way of coping, I do not know. Certainly I love this country and the freedom it grants us. We have done incredible good in the past, we helped Europe rebuild after WWII, we led the way in establishing a peaceful world…but we are not above reproach, it would be arrogant to think so. We need to establish these three principles and admit that we are no longer innocent.

While we sit back, glued to our televisions let us continue to pray and hope for the recovery of lives and the ability to exact justice on those responsible. May God be with us in this endeavor.

_JS