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  • From: Medical Illustration <druid AT email.unc.edu>
  • To: InterNetWorkers <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: collapse
  • Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 10:24:00 -0400


> Count me out. I will not perpetuate the cycle of violence.
As a long time student of many different martial arts, I agree with you that
violence often will only perpetuate violence. However, when someone shows
me that they can stab and kill me, and are presently trying to do so, I
would focus all my energy on trying to killing him/her. I could choose to
disable them instead (I liken this to imprisoning the guilty party), however
that comes with risks. If I choose to disable them, and they still truly
want to kill me, they can do so, if not through their own abilities, then
through those of others.

This is not the first terrorist attack on our country -- this is simply the
first that has been this successful on our own soil. These people have
their weapons, and are willing to do anything it takes to kill us.
Therefore, I believe killing them is not an unjustified or unwarranted
action.

> They can be stopped without obliterating them. The evildoers can be
> captured, their followers can be shown the error of their ways. Making
> war against them will only increase the evil and increase their violence
> against us.
I'm sorry, I just do not believe this. I have seen religious fanaticism
before, both violent and non-violent. There is nothing that can be said or
done to change these people's hatred. These are people who believe in their
cause so strongly that they are willing to die themselves in the gamble that
they will take more of us with them. I would like to believe that people
can be shown the error of their ways, however, when it comes to religious
views I have rarely seen this happen. Even trying to convince Christians in
my home town that not everyone who follows another religion is going to
"hell" is nearly impossible, and I wouldn't have called them strong
believers. How much harder would it be to convince someone who is willing
to die for their beliefs, as these terrorists evidently were?

> The perpetrators should be captured, tried and punished, but this is a
> crime, not a war.

I do not agree with this being classified as a crime either. There were no
singled out victims. There was no discrimination in the people they choose
to kill. These were strategic strikes designed to weaken our financial and
governmental abilities, strikes designed to effectively paralyze our
country. Just imagine if two of the planes had managed to hit what people
are now speculating their original targets were-- the white house and
airforce one. It is bad enough that they managed a strong hit on a building
that houses many of our military leaders. Imagine if they had killed our
president, and or other leaders of our country. They would have managed to
cripple the running of our country for a good while, while we tried to
figure out who was the living next in line, and what we should do about it.
This, in my mind, was without a doubt an act of war. Just because the
people responsible didn't have enough money for an army and certain weaponry
does not make it any less so.

> All of us will die eventually. All of our friends, family and loved
> ones will die, too. In all likelihood, we will all suffer loss, pain,
> and grief. There is nothing in this life that we get to keep. The best
> we can do is hope that the good we create in this life endures and
> continues past our own deaths.
>
I know that all of my family will eventually be gone. I selfishly hope that
I am one of the first so that I do not have to deal with their absence
myself. However, I would never allow anyone to harm them, with taking away
that persons ability to harm them again. I am afraid that I would quickly
kill anyone who I thought was willing to kill or truly harm my family-- nor
would I regret doing it.

Sadly, I believe that sometimes violence, though a last resort, is the only
way to deal with those who are willing to do anything to harm you and yours.

Drew





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