email398.xml
Title
email398.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Date Entered
2002-08-19
September 11 Email: Body
Dear Meryl!
It is so good to hear from you! You finally seem to have made it to the real world, including electricity and phone services... Well, I haven't made it there yet, I still enjoy the privileges of lazy student life (occasionally
interrupted by bouts of studying for my finals in four weeks)!
What you wrote in the last part of your mail about the current situation in the United States confirmed some of my fears. Not only in the US the climate has gone weird. Most people I know have been spending the last few days in
front of the TV set or reading the papers. Everywhere in the country, especially in Berlin, life doesn't seem to flow at its normal pace, everything has slowed down. There have been bomb warnings at the Foreign Office, Berlin, and
for some skyscrapers in Frankfurt, everybody is nervous as hell. People hardly speak of anything else all day. Thousands have been assembling in front of the US embassy in Berlin to express their grief.
However, even though everybody is shocked by what happened, there is also a growing sense of apprehension about what might be happening next. Among the people in front of the embassy some were carrying signs reading: "No revenge,
please! No World War III!" - that probably expresses the general feeling over here quite well. Just like you, I am also afraid of what your "infamoulsy idiotic president" (I quote and I totally agree!) might prove capable of doing. Even in Europe, there is talk of war by now which has been increased by NATO's decision to apply clause 5 of the Washington Treaty.
Even though terror will always be unpardonable, I think it is time for the US to rethink some of their foreign-policy. Something clearly has to be wrong there if people in the streets of Beirut and in the West Bank start celebrating at the sight of thousands of innocent people suffering and dying. So much hatred against the United States has been able to build up in this part of the world due to America's colour-blindness in the Middle East conflict.
I don't have the feeling though, that people are willing to think these kind of thoughts, to investigate the causes of terror and hatred. It is easier to call for blood revenge and to drop a few bombs on Afghanistan. The atmosphere is heated up enough to support this way of action.
Meryl, I don't want this to sound so bloody critical of US-politics (the Europeans aren't that much better....they just do not have the kind of weapons the US commands), but I am afraid of your President's next decisions. I already thought it a total disaster when he was elected, but in a situation like this it makes me feel angry and helpless to think that someone like him carries major responsibility about what is going to happen next.
Have you heard anything from either Yoti, Jesse or Anna Piotrowska in NY? I haven't been able to reach them since Tuesday, I really hope that all of them are safe.
Okay, that was my contribution to the public opinion news you were starved for....
Meryl, lots of love and a big hug from
Andrea
It is so good to hear from you! You finally seem to have made it to the real world, including electricity and phone services... Well, I haven't made it there yet, I still enjoy the privileges of lazy student life (occasionally
interrupted by bouts of studying for my finals in four weeks)!
What you wrote in the last part of your mail about the current situation in the United States confirmed some of my fears. Not only in the US the climate has gone weird. Most people I know have been spending the last few days in
front of the TV set or reading the papers. Everywhere in the country, especially in Berlin, life doesn't seem to flow at its normal pace, everything has slowed down. There have been bomb warnings at the Foreign Office, Berlin, and
for some skyscrapers in Frankfurt, everybody is nervous as hell. People hardly speak of anything else all day. Thousands have been assembling in front of the US embassy in Berlin to express their grief.
However, even though everybody is shocked by what happened, there is also a growing sense of apprehension about what might be happening next. Among the people in front of the embassy some were carrying signs reading: "No revenge,
please! No World War III!" - that probably expresses the general feeling over here quite well. Just like you, I am also afraid of what your "infamoulsy idiotic president" (I quote and I totally agree!) might prove capable of doing. Even in Europe, there is talk of war by now which has been increased by NATO's decision to apply clause 5 of the Washington Treaty.
Even though terror will always be unpardonable, I think it is time for the US to rethink some of their foreign-policy. Something clearly has to be wrong there if people in the streets of Beirut and in the West Bank start celebrating at the sight of thousands of innocent people suffering and dying. So much hatred against the United States has been able to build up in this part of the world due to America's colour-blindness in the Middle East conflict.
I don't have the feeling though, that people are willing to think these kind of thoughts, to investigate the causes of terror and hatred. It is easier to call for blood revenge and to drop a few bombs on Afghanistan. The atmosphere is heated up enough to support this way of action.
Meryl, I don't want this to sound so bloody critical of US-politics (the Europeans aren't that much better....they just do not have the kind of weapons the US commands), but I am afraid of your President's next decisions. I already thought it a total disaster when he was elected, but in a situation like this it makes me feel angry and helpless to think that someone like him carries major responsibility about what is going to happen next.
Have you heard anything from either Yoti, Jesse or Anna Piotrowska in NY? I haven't been able to reach them since Tuesday, I really hope that all of them are safe.
Okay, that was my contribution to the public opinion news you were starved for....
Meryl, lots of love and a big hug from
Andrea
September 11 Email: Date
Thu, 13 Sep 2001 20:24:15 +0200 (MEST)
September 11 Email: Subject
public opinion news....
Collection
Citation
“email398.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed May 6, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/39776.