From: SandyTesha@aol.com
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 14:17:44 EDT
Subject: Fwd: Thanks

Hi everyone, this is from my high school/UWM horn prof Barry. I had asked
him how he felt about everything, and this was his response. He didn't mind
me fwding it, and urges all to do the same if you feel in a similar way.
A couple little anecdotes - as I was crossing the street today (the signal
had just changed to "WALK"), a van came through across the intersection to
beat the red light in the opposite direction. I stopped to let him by,
thinking, "what a f***ing asshole!" The van then slowed down and a man
leaned out the window, smiled and said "Thanks!" We who were waiting to
cross couldn't help smiling back and waving, "no problem". (where do I live
again?!???)

Besides that, NYC seemed pretty normal up here on 55th Street. They are
building a 75+ story building on Broadway and 55th, and construction had come
to a standstill last week, partly out of respect and partly because of the
fact that all the union laborers (iron/steel workers etc) had gone down to
"ground zero" (I am SO sick of that term) to volunteer their skills in the
rescue effort. What usually is such an annoying, loud, disruptive thing (the
machines, yelling, dust, etc), the sounds of construction was an incredibly
comforting sound. I watched a crane lift a huge I-beam all the way up to the
tippy top of the building, on the beam was draped a small American flag.
Looking up you saw a huge flag hung from the open steel girders, and another
flag on the operators' car in the crane. Buildings will continue to be
built, even though we lost two of our most important ones last week. This
was so reassuring to see.

My final update will be sent later... thanks again, and don't forget to fwd
this if you feel similarly.

Love,
Sandy

 

Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 04:51:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: Deborah
Subject: Re: Thanks
To: SandyTesha@aol.com

Dear Sandy,

We are shocked and depressed of course. We were
scheduled to leave for Italy for three weeks this
morning, but cancelled all our reservations Friday. We
thought that the planes would probably be leaving on
inter-continental flights, but what stopped us was
that we expect the "president" to launch an attack in
retaliation.Our question - about the trip and whether
we ought to leave - was whether or not we'd be able to
get back.

We stand now at the threshold of making a monumental
decision: What do we do now? This has been the most
terrible terrorist action the world has ever seen. But
not the only one, for there have been many, many. For
many years we have held ourselves up to the world as
the self-proclaimed model for what they ought to be -
a country ruled by laws, not men. Any one can say
that. Can we do that? Especially now that we are so
wounded and angry? We are the most powerful nation of
all. Doesn't the awesome power to destroy anyone who
angers or annoys us carry a dreadful responsibility
too?

If we act alone as a damaged and angry country
reacting by blindly lashing out, we could not only be
wrong, but we'd invite retaliation. Look at Israel. It
no longer matters who hit who first. People are being
killed and maimed. There is no end to it.
This attack was much, much more than a crime against
the United States - it was a crime against humanity.
It should be dealt with as such. Like the war crimes
trails after WW II or the arrest of Milosevic, there
should be a criminal investigation and a trail in a
world court - not us against them, but them against
the world! Such a court would have to have REAL
authority, authority that was stong enough to override
national independence in the same way that a Federal
Court can dictate to a state. Without that power - the
power to make the court's decisions stick - it
wouldn't work. Countries would just disregard its
decisions. But WITH that authority, backed by all of
thenations of the world, it could work. It's our best
and probably only chance.

There are many difficulties in doing what I propose -
not the least of which is that we will have to cease
the terrorist acts of which WE are guilty, and there
are many of those even though we, in our national
arrogance will not admit them. And we would have to
see others as equal to ourselves even though they
aren't white or Christian or live in "God's Country".
I don't know if our country is capable of that. But if
we don't do this as a world, the price we as a country
will pay will be astronomical. This first attack is
only the downpayment. Already we are being asked to
make concessions to our civil liberties. That is only
the beginning - the camel's nose under the tent.

Hey - I'll bet you are sorry you asked! I didn't mean
to carry on like this, but it is in the front of our
minds and thoughts. It has been for years. With George
W. in the office, and all of the cold-warriors in
power - Cheney, Rumsfeld et al, we are really spooked.
The sentiments we here from some people here is
blood-chilling! "Incinerate the bastards" is only the
strongest. Seemingly rational people are going off the
deep end. Restraint is what is called for. I don't
think we are going to get it. Folks want action and
they want ot N O W !!!. I think that's what is going
to happen. Deb just woke up and we'll go into the
sunroom of this wonderful house and have tea as we do
every morning.

You know you have a blanket invitation to vist and
stay with us whenever you can - and we send you love!
B&D
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/

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