Joe Thompson

now is the time for the us to lead the world to peace. more death and destruction is just that. revenge is not the answer.
now is the time for peace.

Jim Klosterman

The Green Party wants to extend condolences to those families who have lost loved ones in the sad incidences in NY, DC, and Penn et al I want to further mention that the incident could have been averted. From tentative reports or hypotheses, the incidents could be directly pointed to a group sympathy to Palestine. The United States’ foreign policy with Israel and the military aid to them may be the acerbating fact that lead to the sad events. I would like to reiterate to those who do not know that the Green Party has a policy of moving into international problems or conflicts with a peace “card” instead of one of military resolve.

I think we need to understand that those acts do not happen in a vacuum. The use of the term “terrorist” suggest that the person(s) responsible are deranged or are perhaps jealous of the United States. This is surely not the case.

In closing the United States needs to be more conscious of the Human Rights of individuals and in this case the Palestine.
It is trusted that American citizens use wisdom in moving to resolve this situation.

Jim Klosterman Green Party coordinating committee member

Richard Kaiser

The IMF/World Bank confab will be cancelled. The protest should be converted to peaceful demonstrations in all state capitols. Greed and hate rule the world. It is time the peacemakers make their case.

Eric Oines
Minneapolis, MN

Like many, I am stunned. This is indeed a hard day.

But I am also frightened. Frightened by the intense hatred that could precipitate such acts, frightened by how we, as a people will respond, frightened by how my government will respond.

My wife and daughter are muslim. How will we, as a people, respond to them? How can we help to change the global atmosphere that breeds such acts?

I am at a loss...

Harold Parkey
Ft. Worth, TX

We are reaping what we have sown. We will now have the dreaded opportunity to live in the same fear that our financial policies and military assistance have inflicted on others. Their terrorists have now brought the war to us with hijacked planes. I expect that soon our terrorists will respond with cruse missiles and F-16s.

Will the government use this as an excuse to further erode our liberties? I've already heard comments indicating that some believe we need more security. I must ask at what price? Will we chose to live in a police state rather than change our policies toward the oppressed of the world? How many will call for the bombing of countries they believe connected to the attacks? How many children will we once again murder in the name of reprisal and call them "collateral damage"?

At work someone wondered aloud "Is anyplace safe now?" My response is yes-on our knees. Pray for forgiveness, healing and peace. May God help us all.

Chris Green
Edgewood WA

The U.S. government seems about to blame this disaster on Bin Laden. We know what the veracity of the U.S. government is worth. Such things as these are horrible; I'm not trying to justify them but they are only result of U.S. support for Israel's bantustanization of the Palestinians and support for the barbaric "moderate" Arab governments. These massacres will likely lead to "retaliation" i.e. killing defensless third world civillians, possibly in Afghanistan, and make it even more easier the administration to get public support for its militarism, imperial violence and flouting of international law. No doubt civil liberties are going to be attacked again.

Norman Watkins
Chicago, Illinois

A quote from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King may be appropriate as we reflect on this desperate tragedy. Regarding Vietnam, Dr. King criticized the US role, and said that a nation which spends more every year on military weapons than on programs of social uplift, is approaching spiritual death. He also commented that we will be creating committees concerned about Vietnam, and Guatemala and Peru, and attending meetings without number unless there is a profound change in US policy.

Not only did no such change occur, but the US overthrew governments in many places, most notably in Chile where the Presidential palace was bombed by a Chilean military plane, on September 11 1973, exactly 28 years ago......

Paul Lehto
Everett, WA

The next frightening event will be those who most loudly claim to be "freedom-loving" rushing to end our freedoms through an "anti-terrorist" bill that creates the kind of police state that would be necessary to prevent more acts of terrorism. And then those responsible, from whatever quarter, will be flashing wicked smiles of success....

Hugh McGuire
New York City

We need to rethink our one-sided support of Israeli subjugation of the Palestinian people. We are antagonizing all Muslims, and our indifference to their humiliation and pain, as well as our bigotry causes us to underestimate their ability to respond. I think there is a simple solution: clean-out all the settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including Jerusalem, and create an independent State of Palestine. The Arabs may accept that as a deal and it would produce peace for Israel and a healthier relationship between the U.S. and the Arab peoples.

Michael Rouppet
San Francisco

My thoughts? Incontenence is a pretty glossy term for losing control of one's own functions-my first reaction.

Let's take a moment down memory lane and go back since Dumbya's administration started. Among the first of his official duties was to lob bombs at Iraq. Unlike Clinton, who at least appeared to be trying to broker peace, Dumbya failed to convey an interest. I guess he was still busy struggling to correctly pronounce his new coined term in the mirror, "compassionitive iso-lay-shun-ism." It reminds me of the infamous quote from Marie Antoinette. The next step into surface diplomacy double-speak W took, came in the form of ABM treaty breaking. Siding with Israel (a war without good versus evil players) and shirking the conference on racism weren't smart diplomatic moves. Before this thing gets too far, we should hold a national referendum on the country's confidence (or lack of) in this administration. GW's oil-friends have already benefited mightily as they run to ruin the environment and I shudder to think of what could be in store for his defense industry bomb-making friends. As long as we retain a bought and paid for incompetent oaf, it is bound to get worse.

My condolences to the families of this tragedy.

Steven M. Quesinberry

There are two items that must be recognized as the most problematic outcome of this horrible act of relatiation against our country. First is the prospect for war, which has the consequence of allowing our government to initiate martial law. The second is the use of FEMA to suspend civil liberties in time of national disaster as defined by W. Our government will insist that it must "hunt down and punish" those responsible for this act and I support the idea. However, the only way to prevent such things from happening in the future would be such a drastic foreign and economic policy change for our country that few in power would support them. Prepare for the most important struggle of our lives.

William Mandel
Oakland, California

The attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center are the most important event in world history since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The disappearance of the USSR ended a half century in which two powers dominated the world. The casualties in New York, Washington, and in the skies made an end to the belief that the United States could continue waging wars costing us no blood, whether in no-fly zones over Iraq, in Kosovo, or anywhere else on any continent.

For fifty-six years Washington has successfully conducted mass murders of noncombatant civilians from the air with no fear of retaliation. In 1945, when Japan could no longer strike back, there was Hiroshima, 75,000 killed. Then Nagasaki, 40,000 killed. The Korean War cost that country, with no possible means of harming the United States, 4,000,000 dead [Encyclopedia Brittanica] versus 34,000 Americans, or more than 100 Koreans per American. Most of the Korean deaths were caused by American carpet bombing (white phosphorus, napalm, explosives)to break the will to resist, and therefore were predominantly civilian.

The numbers in the Vietnam War were of the same orders of magnitude."Desert Storm" has slaughtered Iraqi children in immense numbers since the end of the fighting, due to the embargo against necessities.

Until now the vast majority of Americans have clucked their tongues over these things and gone about their business. No more. The deaths in the collapsed New York towers may approach the number in Nagasaki, as the people normally employed and visiting has been given as 50,000. The super-expensive, space and information age espionage technology of the National Security Agency, as well as the more conventional activities of the CIA and FBI are now the laughing stock of the world. As to the Defense Intelligence Agency in the Pentagon, I wonder if it was accidental that the plane striking that building hit exactly the section where that agency was housed.

There is simply nothing Washington can do to restore the situation existing before this morning. Even if it decides to blame Saddam Hussein, and nukes Baghdad off the fact of the earth, it will accomplish nothing in a world of suicide bombers and underground organizations capable of working in complete secrecy and with perfect coordination.

The astonishing secrecy and coordination of the attacks make the National Security Agency, the CIA, the FBI, and American military intelligence the laughing stock of the world. Undoubtedly U.S."intelligence"(?!)operations will be multiplied. That guarantees absolutely nothing.

The Korean War was accompanied by the rise of McCarthyism. It is possible that today's events may bring similar hysteria and suppression of civil liberties. Not only would that further diminish the civil liberties that are one of this country's proudest achievements, but by so doing it would reduce the ability of the citizenry to ask the necessary questions about the policies responsible for the hatred of the United States expressed in this catastrophe.

The time has come to realize that the motivation that brought about our Revolutionary War in 1776 is the strongest single force active in the world today. Peoples will be independent, no matter what Washington, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley want to do with and in their countries. The United States must either adapt to that or suffer the fate of ancient Rome.

William Mandel, Oakland, California
(37 years [1958-1995] on Pacifica Radio stations

John McGrath

How naive can you get?

As much as I despise the US's policies in general, too many seem to be content writing this tragedy off as if the tens of thousands of dead deserved it, simply because they're american. If this is what passes for progressive thought, I may join the Republican party.

Carl Granados

Today's events are horrible and tragic. I have been in a daze and wanting to cry since I have first heard the horrible news. I love my country yet...

I also know we are helping perpetuate acts of terrorism that to the victims and families seem as cowardly and evil. In our minds we believe our acts of terror are in the name of a greater good because we feel we are God's chosen people (why else would he make us rich). What we fail to see is that other terrorists feel the same way.

When we bomb civilians, when we help Israel commit acts of terror in the name of self defense, we support bloody dictators, when we help assassinate leaders we don't like, when we help the Columbian government eradicate native peoples in the name of a drug war, and so on we do unto others what now someone has done to us.

Its wrong when they do it and it is wrong when we do. We most learn to go beyond double standards before we ever have a chance at ending this kind tragedy.

I also now fear what our "eye for an eye" revenge mentallity (not seeing we are being repaid for having helped take out many an eye) will lead us under the careless leadership W. and the gang.

We sure need God's blessing now.

Chris Driskell

Sickening, but more sickening that the major media are reflexively trying to shift blame to Arab extremists already. We need to remeber that the previous worst terrorist attack on US soil was perpetrated, not by Arab militants, but by Tim McVeigh & Terry Nichols who were influenced to their acts by homegrown extreme right-wing white-supremacist paramilitaries.

Phil Martin
Austin, Texas

Bush in Second Presidential Debate

>>>>BUSH: Well, I think they ought to look at us as a country that understands freedom where it doesn't matter who you are or how you're raised or where you're from, that you can succeed. I don't think they'll look at us with envy. It really depends upon how our nation conducts itself in foreign policy. If we're an arrogant nation, they'll resent us. If we're a humble nation, but strong, they'll welcome us. And
it's -- our nation stands alone right now in the world in terms of power, and that's why we have to be humble. And yet project strength in a way that promotes freedom. So I don't think they ought to look at us in any way other than what we are. We're a freedom-loving nation and if we're an arrogant nation they'll view us that way, but if we're a humble nation they'll respect us.<<<<

Now - to look back on 8 months of the Bush Presidency - have we exerted our authority and power with arrogance, or humbly?

Bill O'Neill
Braintree MA

There is only one way to insure our safety in the face of such hate.

Wage Peace

Unfortunately we don't have any political leaders with the balls to take on that task.

Our most likely response will only add fuel to the fire.

"Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it."
Mahatma Gandhi

Martin Schulke
Santa Cruz, CA

Now is a time for all to rise to leadership. Now is the time to listen more deeply to the world that we ever thought possible. Every one needs to be heard around what this event has brought up for them. Encourage everyone to feel everything. Listen... as a radical act of leadership in healing. Then take a turn for yourself. There is nothing to figure out. This is unexplainable. We hurt. Just listen!

with an absolute love for life in all it's diversity
I cry

John de Jesus
Brossard, Que. Canada

Beyond words, the sadness I feel. The whole mess is appalling. President"Outback" 's behaviour and insensitivity has been appalling. Who am I to criticize anyone ? Against all that I'd prefer to believe, people often do get what they deserve. The consequences to the longstanding absence of a certain degree of humility have been obvious all along. Humanity is at a crossroads. Let's not further confuse post-modernism with existentialism.

Lance Del Goebel
Manhattan, Illinois

The United States conducts itself as a terrorist organization throughout the world ( one example - More Iraqi children have been killed by the United States in the past 10 years than jewish children were killed by The Third Reich in a comparable amount of time ). Perhaps if we encouraged freedom abroad, instead of corporate sponsored slavery & tyranny, perhaps if we sold more bread than guns, perhaps if we were acting as the leader of justice throughout the world, rather than the main force against justice, then maybe, just maybe, the rest of the world wouldn't need to seek vengeance against us. This day, though horrible, was a mere speck of sand in an American desert of atrocities.

Ann Allhands
Kalispell, Montana

The symbolism of the 9/11 attack should cause us to do some deep thinking about what this country is about.

I cannot help but believe September 11 was chosen as the strike date because of the U.S. 911 number for emergencies--a sort of macabre humor. Then the precise strike against our great capitalistic icon--the World Trade Center, the tall, arrogant towers of our pride, made in duplicate as though one weren't enough; then great Pentagonal heart of our military--well chosen icons of what the USA represents to the world: capitalism and missiles.

The human price against us is insufferable, but what about the human price our nation creates: corporate ‘faux’ strikes in undeveloped countries as they pursue profit and stock holders, at the same time creating poverty for the indigenous and destroying lives, or our ten-year sanctions against Iran which is a strike on water supplies causing deaths among thousands of hapless children? Are these not also an insufferable price in human life? Or our war on drugs?

Perhaps we need to do some serious thinking about our own human atrocities.

The world just might respect us a bit more.

Thomas Marini
Lenox, MA

This is a horrible occurrence and a sad day. I pray for the dead and wounded. I pray for the brave brave brave firemen police rescue workers and everyone else helping out in the rescues in NYC and elsewhere in our country. God/Goddess bless them. We must keep calm and centered in the next few weeks and not buy into the "facts" the corporate media try to put out. Violence in response to these acts will not bring anyone back. I pray our present leaders will be acutely aware of this.

Peace and Hope to us all

Glynn Ash

US Foriegn Policy has come home to roost today...we are reaping what we have sown. We have patriotically trapsed around the world -- pilaging, plundering and oppressing and have the nerve to be surprised and outraged that this has happened.

Everything has changed...you bet. For the thousands surely dead and for all Americans and people of "democracies" ie: kiss what few freedoms we have left to us goodbye as the constitution will be further shredded in the name of "security".

Enda Crowley
Dublin, Ireland

The enormity of this act of terrorism didn't sink in for a few hours after I first heard about it. The blame cannot just be landed in the face of those who commited these acts. Bush and Clinton and many American presidents before them have to bear a great amount of the responsibility for these devastating attacks. Please, God, let there be an outcry from the public so large that the real 'fanatics' (whom Blair held responsible), are shown to be Bush, Blair etc. Let there be change so that the centralisation of power be displaced by decentralisation. The latter will do more to prevent further attacks than retaliations somewhere--where? The world is in mourning. Let something good come out of this, please..

LRS
Kansas

As I sat with my nine year old son watching the news his only words were "why, it's so stupid?" In the few years he has lived he has now viewed the news of two terrorist attacks. He understands people get angry but he doesn't understand why some reach the point of doing evil to another. There is no denying what occurred today is indeed evil. Innocent lives are forever gone and our worldview is forever changed. But yet the temptation will continue to be "hunt them down". Before we do, maybe in addition to doing so, could we at least ask ourselves "why"? What is it that we have done that opened the door to such desire by those we may never know? What is the significance of hitting the WTC? What does it say about our use of power and wealth? What does it say about the influence and reputation we have with nations for us and against us? I hear the politicians say this was an act against freedom - my soul says not freedom but our brand of capitalism along with the selective use of might - why these targets and no others? This event did not need to happen - if only we could listen as well as talk - if only we could reach out rather than invest in interests. What will the impact be upon my son's young mind as he faces the future - what will be the wisdom he may offer the next time around?

Amy Larimer
Corpus Christi, TX

It seems clear to me that whoever did this had to have someone on the inside at every airport and the airlines. While I am shocked and appalled by this, I do believe that it was just a matter of time before this happened. How many times have I been through airport metal detectors and the attendants were barely paying attention to their screens? So I think you start by hiring better people and paying them a lot more than what they were getting. Ultimately we made need to arm flight crews or send an armed marshall on every flight, although even they can be overwhelmed. I think the terrorists had their own pilots too because a typical pilot won't deliberately fly his plane into a building. So the terrorists must have been at the controls. What I fear the most is an overreaction in the name of safety. You can't be perfectly safe and free at the same time. Our personal liberties will suffer if we allow officials to make new rules in the interests of safety. I am not willing to let that happen. The things that the US stands for are more important than that. If we let that suffer, it means the terrorists have won.

Also I hope this puts to rest any talk of a "missile shield". When was the last time the US was attacked by missiles? Try never. What we feared most has happened. Now comes the recriminations, the blame game.