>yes, we do realise, just as you do, that the american government would
>probably be justified in making a severe reaction, once they are able to
>identify the guilty parties. and how many innocents will suffer still? here
>in the cafés people are talking about cruise missiles, or even nukes on
>afghanistan, being the next step, without even having confirmation of
>anything. any reaction of this degree - while understood in the context, and
>the pain - will only breed more hate, more pain, more suffering.
>
Jonathan,

Thank you for that voice of reason and humanity. I have been dismayed all day at the speed with which people, both on the street and in the halls of power, have put the focus on retaliation, retribution, revenge, "justice." Certainly those responsible must be stopped, must be dealt with, but there is nothing that can be done to, for, or with them that will diminish the loss nor ease the pain.

I suppose we could take some small comfort in the knowledge that at least a dozen terrorists, so filled with venom that they would gladly die for their cause, have now succeeded in that goal. In the long term, that may be their greatest accomplishment. Makes the world feel a little safer already, although I'm not suggesting that there aren't plenty more like them.

On a lighter note, I find it interesting that no one that I heard in the media (nor anywhere else for that matter, except for tedd) made the connection with the 911 date. I had just mentioned it to my wife before I picked up tedd's email. Suppose it's a programmer thing?

Hatred is more contagious, more virulent, and more dangerous than AIDS or cancer. We should work at least as hard to find a vaccine against hatred as we do for other devastating, dehumanizing diseases.

Best to all of you.
 0"0
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