<HTML>Dear Garrett,
I have never advocated or condoned physical force against anyone. Nor have I ever felt that there could ever be a justifiable reason to advocate or condone killing other fellow humans.
As much as I grieve and feel the deepest sorrow for my American friends, as much as I am angry and saddened by this monstrous atrocities that befell the cities of NY and Washington DC, as much as I deplore the senseless death of thousands of innocent people, as much as I understand the horror and pain of their families and friends, and as much as my passion, like them, wants to inflict punishment on those who did this, I also know that I must advocate compassion and peaceful means to deal with this most difficult situation that touches us all.
The very wise know that it is not by brutal force that the world has changed for the better, but by touching the hearts of men. Some may think this is sentimental mush. But history should have taught us this lesson many times over.
Let there be something great and wonderful to come out of the burning rumble of what was the World Trade Centre; let the spirit of America and democracy and the free world rise like a great phoenix and show all those misguided groups and dictarship-governments how noble and humane we truly are. Already most of the governments and people of the world have rallied in support for America and the human drama that has befallen it. Already many of their one-time enemies have condemned this act of terrorism against Americans and have pledged their support against this ignoble attack on human decency and freedom. Even Yasser Arrafat has donated of his own blood --who would have thought so 20 years ago? So let this great tidal wave of human recognition spread further. These mad terrorists have not just awakened the American sleeping giant; they have awakened the human race. The hearts of men and women all over the world have been touched. Let this awakening reap the fruits of global peace and freedom, and the realisation that we are all brothers and sisters under the same skies.
But, on the other hand, let the USA or NATO order a missile attack on Afghanistan or Sudan or Iraq or wherever the terrorist 'targets' are loosely defined, and this great spiritual phoenix that is now rising slowly from the ashes of NY will collapse like a pack of charred cards, like the rumbled WTC that is beneath it. And then God help us all...
God bless America and guide it well in this time of need.
RB</HTML>
