Dear Friends:
I’ve taken a few days to post, having a need to sort out my thoughts and watch the coverage along with my co-workers, family, and neighbors. I’ve also read your posts over the past 48 hours and seen many of the same reactions as the population in general.
I could sum your responses by likening them to what we witnessed on Tuesday – evil villains, great heroes, voices of calm reason, voices spewing hate, spiritual comfort, religious extremism. They say disasters like this bring out the true nature of us all, and if that is correct, some have reason to be proud and others should hang their heads in shame.
These acts of terrorism were perpetrated by individuals who believe in a cause. Some of us would try to explain what leads people to such extremes, and this is not at all a moot point. If we are to curb such behavior, we must understand what makes it happen. Others demand instant justice, even if their view of justice is acted out hastily and without rational thought. The vast majority of us feels helpless and tries to come up with ways to contribute in meaningful ways. People line up to donate blood, prayers are offered, funds are donated to relief efforts. Heroes will emerge – firefighters and rescue workers who risked and gave up their own lives to save others; people on doomed flights who may have prevented their planes from becoming weapons; men and women who worked around the clock at hospitals.
In reading your posts, I see both extremes and much in between. I saw wild speculations early on spouting odd-ball conspiracy theories. The government of the United States allows or even launches an attack against its own citizens effectively bringing the entire country to a standstill in order to stimulate the economy? Read reports on how much this is going to cost the airline industry, not to mention the rebuilding of the financial center of the free world and see if that makes any sense at all.
I read people angry with each other and typing in all caps to “SHUT YOUR F**ING MOUTH!!” We come here needing contact with our fellow humans and this is what we say to each other? I’m ashamed.
I read those educated in engineering helping to explain the structure of the buildings and why they collapsed the way they did. I saw others expressing their grief and sorrow and reaching out in love.
The truly ugly:
I hope you are drug out and executed for saying what you said about homosexual people...posted by someone who is capable of both extreme sensitivity and sudden outbursts of great anger.
I have a gun ready to blow any terrorist to shreds. Prepare yourselves as well…posted by someone who is so mentally unbalanced they should be reported to the authorities.
I think that we should make Afghanistan a glass parking lot tomorrowposted by someone who should know better.
The good:
I would like to address briefly one thing about the response from some of my fellow JWs, though, which disturbs me…It’s the matter of whom we pray for, and are concerned about…. However, love, care and concern should then extend much further than that. It should extend to others, really all who were affected. So, let’s pray for everyone who was negatively affected by this tragedy, not just fellow Witnesses. There are scores of grieving individuals out there right now, suffering indescribable agony. It’s true that many likely are not active worshipers of God. Likely, some affected don’t even believe in God. So what?posted by an apparently active Jehovah’s Witness
Light candles in the windows tonight to show that we feel withposted by resident curmudgeon and frequent America critic.
America and the tragedy that have hit them. Light it for all the
people who have lost their lives and for their family that now are
left behind, especially for all the children who will not see their
parents again….Let them see that we stand together…
The reasonable:
How people think--their indoctrination--is the cancer, not the people themselves. You cannot kill thoughts with bombs and bayonets…posted by someone crying out for reasonableness instead of anger in reaction.
The saddest tragedy is the millions of innocent arab women and children who are about to die, believing it is Allah's will, when the sleeping giants from the west arrive with their electronic war machines and caravans of death, while their supposed spiritual leaders like Saddam Hussein, Moammar Quaddafi, Usama bin Mohammed bin Laden hide safely in their mountains, in their palaces and secret places, leaving their loyally blinded followers out in the open toby yet another voice begging for restraint.
face "democracy" when it comes!
And this by a newcomer:
To those who feel that an “eye for an eye” and “tooth for tooth” is the appropriate response, maybe you might do well to look at how well this policy worked for Israel who daily lives with terrorist attacks and responds viciously. It is very ineffectual. Even if you sent in hit teams to murder all the known terrorists or make an overwhelming and shocking response (say nuke a city someplace) it won’t stop terrorism. It reminds me a lot of the drug war, you can make things difficult for the drug traffickers but you won’t stop it until you stop the demand for drugs.
To all of you who showed sympathy for those who came to the board needing a virtual hug, thank you. To all of you who showed restraint and asked for others to take a breath before spewing hatred to anyone in a turban, glad you’re here. To the people who call for violence, against your fellow posters or against your fellow-man, you’ve already lost this war. I feel sorry for you. Just like the scenes on my television on Tuesday, I’ve seen the best of times and the worst of times.
Staying tuned and hoping cool heads prevail,
Wasasister