nmah2895.xml

nmah2895.xml

born-digital

story

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2002-09-10

I was staying home from school that morning, sick with a stomach virus that I sometimes get. I was watching the Today show, because I wanted to know what was going on in the world. When they went live after the first plane hit, I remember sitting on my couch in my underwear, totally flabbergasted as I watched the second plane hit, live on TV. I immediately called my grandparents. They live in Brooklyn, so I knew they would be all right, but I wanted to call anyway. It's like when they and my dad called me the day after Columbine, because even though I was perfectly safe in Denver (Littleton is a suburb of Denver proper), and they knew it, they wanted to talk. My grandparents hadn't yet heard, and when I told my grandpa the only thing he could say was "Jesus." Just like that. No exclamation mark, no disbelief, just shock. Jesus. Indeed.

I stood on the top of those buildings once. I can remember it was a clear day; I could see for miles and miles. They were so huge, so grand, a testament to the wonderful things humans can do. And now they're gone.

My father used to work in those buildings. He used to go to Tower 1 every day for his job, well before I was born. He was living in Tampa, FL at the time, and still does, but even the fact that he used to work there, that he might conceivably have been there, the thought is terrifying.

And, understanding the loss too many people have felt, the grief and the rage, if only intellectually and but a pale shadow of the personal experience, I still have to speak up. The terrorists who did it thought they had more than enough reason, and in some sense they were right about injustices this country has done them. Does that make them any better? Absolutely not. Was their action inexcusable? Yes. Pointless? Absolutely, though they would have disagreed. But do I hate them for it? No. I don't have it in me to truly hate anybody, not at this point, anyway. I understand the rage and the desire for revenge, but if you think about it more objectively I think it's impossible to escape the conclusion that vengeance won't help anybody. Look at any of a million different cases in thousands and thousands of different places and times and cultures. Bloody vengeance may be satisfying, but it doesn't solve any problems, and usually makes them bigger.

But I shouldn't say such things at the moment. I have a lot of opinions that may not be held by the populace in general. And this truly isn't the best time to discuss them. So I apologize to anyone whom I have offended. What the hijackers did a year ago is inexcusable, and I am sure they will be punished for it. The Quran says nothing about holy war or jihad that I know of. Some Islamic religious texts include the Ten Commandments delivered unto Moses by God. There can be no excuse, no forgiveness for the people who did those acts. But that doesn't mean we should hate all of them. How many innocents died in Afghanistan? How many will we kill if we invade Iraq like our moronic President wants? For that matter, how many do we kill each day with our unfair trade sanctions against that nation? Chopping off the Hydra's head does no good if you cannot sear the necks or pierce the creature's heart.

This September 11, I have one wish for everyone affected by the terrorist attacks, and for everyone else as well. Don't let those people have died in vain. Don't forget that there are other people in this world besides Americans. Don't let your anger and your grief overcome your conscience and your humanity. Remembrance is a good thing; grief is okay to a point. But don't take it too far. Don't preach hatred because of the actions of a tiny extremist group. Remember and grieve, but don't let it turn into anger and hatred. Remember the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the principles this country was founded on. All men created equal. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Patriotism is the support of ideals, not just something to play at because something terrible happened. Not just something to do because it's in fashion now. Patriotism is permanent, not volatile.

Remember 9/11/2001, but don't hate. It's not forgivable, and certainly not forgettable. But the actions of 19 hijackers who killed so many people do not speak for all of the Middle East, all of Islam, or even all of Afghanistan. Please, don't give in to the anger and the hate. If I could do one thing for everyone in the world, the country, or even just everyone who plays Alleria, that's what I would do. I would erase the hatred. Hate helps nobody, and makes us less than human. Keep your humanity. Ridiculous though it sounds in this context, Yoda was right. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to the Dark Side. Once you start down the dark path, you can never return to the Light. Be angry if you must, that's fine. But don't let it consume you. It's not healthy, and it's not cool. Why do you think these people felt they had to do what they did? Why do you think they thought they needed to fly planes into those buildings? Hate. If you resort to hatred, you lower yourself to their level. How is nuking Afghanistan or Iraq or anyone else any different or any better than what they did? People have families and lives there too.

Depeche Mode. Yoda. Martin Luther King. Gandalf. The Founding Fathers of the United States, and so many more it's impossible to name even a fraction of a fraction. They all had the same message. Everyone, everywhere all has the same worth, the same humanity.

I hate to sound preachy, and I suppose to some people I must. But I mean every word. This September 11, remember and grieve, but don't hate. Please.