posted 09-15-2001 01:52 AM            

As fate would have it, I was leaving New York on a jet flight that took off
45 minutes before the unthinkable happened. By the time we landed in
Detroit, chaos had broken out. When I grasped the fact that American
security had broken down so tragically, I couldn't respond at first.

My wife and son were also in the air on separate flights, one to Los
Angeles, one to San Diego. My body went absolutely rigid with fear. All I
could think about was their safety, and it took several hours before I found
out that their flights had been diverted and both were safe.

Strangely, when the good news came, my body still felt that it had been hit
by a truck. Of its own accord it seemed to feel a far greater trauma that
reached out to the thousands who would not survive and the tens of thousands
who would survive only to live through months and years of hell. And I asked
myself, Why didn't I feel this way last week? Why didn't my body go stiff
during the bombing of Iraq or Bosnia?

Around the world my horror and worry are experienced every day. Mothers weep
over horrendous loss, civilians are bombed mercilessly, refugees are ripped
from any sense of home or homeland. Why did I not feel their anguish enough
to call a halt to it?

As we hear the calls for tightened American security and a fierce
military response to terrorism, it is obvious that none of us has any
answers. However, we feel compelled to ask some questions.

Everything has a cause, so we have to ask, What was the root cause of this
evil? We must find out not superficially but at the deepest level. There is
no doubt that such evil is alive all around the world and is even
celebrated.

Does this evil grow from the suffering and anguish felt by people we don't
know and therefore ignore? Have they lived in this condition for a long
time?

One assumes that whoever did this attack feels implacable hatred for
America. Why were we selected to be the focus of suffering around the world?

All this hatred and anguish seems to have religion at its basis. Isn't
something terribly wrong when jihads and wars develop in the name of God?
Isn't God invoked with hatred in Ireland, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan,
Israel, Palestine, and even among the intolerant sects of America?

Can any military response make the slightest difference in the
underlying cause? Is there not a deep wound at the heart of humanity?

If there is a deep wound, doesn't it affect everyone?

When generations of suffering respond with bombs, suicidal attacks, and
biological warfare, who first developed these weapons? Who sells them? Who
gave birth to the satanic technologies now being turned against us?

If all of us are wounded, will revenge work? Will punishment in any form
toward anyone solve the wound or aggravate it? Will an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth, and limb for a limb, leave us all blind, toothless and
crippled?

Tribal warfare has been going on for two thousand years and has now been
magnified globally. Can tribal warfare be brought to an end? Is patriotism
and nationalism even relevant anymore, or is this another form of tribalism?

What are you and I as persons going to do about what is happening? Can we
afford to let the deeper wound fester any longer?

Everyone is calling this an attack on America, but is it not a rift in our
collective soul? Isn't this an attack on civilization from without that is
also from within?

When we have secured our safety once more and cared for the wounded, after
the period of shock and mourning is over, it will be time for soul
searching. I only hope that these questions are confronted with the deepest
spiritual intent.

None of us will feel safe again behind the shield of military might and
stockpiled arsenals. There can be no safety until the root cause is faced.
In this moment of shock I don't think
anyone of us has the answers. It is imperative that we pray and offer solace
and help to each other. But if you and I are having a single thought of
violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are
contributing to the wounding of the world.

Love,

posted 09-15-2001 02:30 AM            

We Must Remember Our Responsibilities
by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas)
September 12, 2001

Tuesday, millions of Americans awakened to find the nation at war, attacked by barbarians who targeted innocent civilians. This senseless slaughter of human life was reprehensible, and must be denounced by all civilized peoples. For the moment, we can only share our grief and our condolences with those who lost family and friends.

In our grief, we must remember our responsibilities. Congress has an obligation in this constitutional republic to preserve freedom and provide for national security. Sadly, our security measures were not adequate to prevent Tuesday's tragedy. We must be willing to honestly examine our policies, and change those that weaken our national security.

When we retaliate for this horror we have suffered, we must be certain that we punish only those who are guilty. There is an understandable sense of urgency in the nation, a sense that Congress should take action immediately. However, we must not kill innocent civilians in our rush to retaliate against those truly responsible.

Times of tragedy and war naturally bring out strong emotions in all of us. Yet we must be careful to preserve personal liberty and privacy rights in the months ahead. Sometimes the people are only too anxious to sacrifice their constitutional liberties during a crisis, hoping to gain some measure of security. Yet nothing would please the terrorists more than if we willingly gave up some of our cherished liberties because of their actions.