Can We Be Different?
by Groff Schroeder
On the morning of September 11, 2001, the People of the United States were
grappling with growing problems in our economy, environment and government.
These problems still exist, and it is easy to focus upon the horror of the
aftermath and ignore the inconvenient and unpleasant problems that We the
People still face. We must address these problems with a new vigor based
upon the unity that has finally been achieved in our great nation. This
event must not become the impetus for sweeping past political transgressions
under the national rug, or abandoning a single human, political or civil
right here in the United States.
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After years of what the president recently described as "routine" US bombing
in the Middle East, perhaps it is time to consider other options. The new
world unity against terrorism should not foster an oxymoronic "just war," but
instead the creation of direct blockades and boycotts against terrorists and
the nations that support them. Instead of bombing the innocent people that
the terrorists and despots hide behind, we should shower them with food and
medicine to turn them against the political murderers who poison their minds
with propaganda. If a desire for vengeance causes us to kill more innocent
people, how are we different from the people who killed our fellow citizens?
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This appalling event gives us the opportunity to show the world that we are a
nation whose people and ideals transcend the pettiness and self
destructiveness of revenge. It is now up to us to end the cruel cycle of
hatred and violence that stems from the belief that the only way to close the
book on murder is through yet another murder. Instead of claiming the
support of God as we rush to kill, we should showcase our democratic values
of due process of law and innocence until proven guilty. We should embrace,
not obstruct, the creation of a world court to try international crimes such
as these.
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Good can come of this event, but not from more violence. If the terrorists
who committed these calculated attacks are capable of strategic thought, they
will have planned a response to retaliatory attacks. But there can be no
successful aggressive defense against a united world dedicated to
non-violence and the prevention of the deaths of innocents.
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We are all fallible human beings, with common needs and personal wants and
desires. While religion has important personal meaning for many people, its
central and extremely negative role in suicide terror attacks, health clinic
bombings and totalitarian theocracies is painfully obvious. It is easy for
us to rationalize that violence will assuage the grief and fear we feel at
becoming the targets of violence. But acts of violence and political hatred
only feed upon themselves to destroy constructive impulses and human
achievement no matter if they are executed by a small band of terrorists or a
well-meaning superpower.
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This is a very rare opportunity for the People of the world to unite against
terrorism and violence. We should not allow it to be just another day in a
vicious cycle of hatred and revenge. If we do, the people who died in the
terrorist attacks will have died in vain, more innocent people will follow
them to their graves, and new terrorists will rise from the ashes to create
tomorrow’s horrors of violence.
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