September 11, 2001 - A Tragic Day for America

The unspeakable horrors in today's news from New York and Washington and Pennsylvania have paralyzed America in so many ways, from grounding of all aircraft to businesses being closed to sports events being canceled.

Now we have to figure out what to do next. How can we go on with "business as usual"? How can we behave in front of our kids? How can we laugh or be an audience at a theater or cheer at a sports event? How can we focus our attention on the personal problems of ourselves or our friends? How can we continue working on projects we have started, or make up new projects for ourselves? How can we buy things when we can't work, can't make things or sell things ourselves?

We just want to go to sleep and wake up when the nightmare is over.
But some of us may want revenge. How can anyone oppose them? How can anyone offer forgiveness or pray for our enemies? How can we not defend ourselves? And if the best defense is a strong offense, how can we not invade someone and bomb someone?

Can the Canadians and Mexicans and Germans and British all feel smug in the safety of their countries that only America was attacked today? If the terrorists use only pinpoint accuracy in their attacks, can even we Americans who rarely fly and are not involved in world trade or the defense department and never visit New York or Washington feel safe?

It might be better if the water supply of 10 cities across the world, including at least one in the Midwest of the U.S.A. were attacked, then we could all feel like targets, and band together for our collective security. As it is, some of us can feel lucky and maybe even self-righteous that we could never be targets. We are harmless, unimportant, out-of-harms-way, and we are good people, not selfish, not violent, not powerful.

It will be hard for us to discuss this with one another. Those of us who have a "sure" plan will take over the discussion. There will be little patience for long deliberations, but much pressure for immediate "response." It makes one envious, in a twisted way, of the emergency workers in NY who do not have to think deeply, but can just put all their energy into coping with the crisis.