SHARING A MESSAGE TO TERRORISTS

September 13, 2001

As an American, I feel it's my job to have something to say.
In this moment of airless shock, when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of the suffering and outrage the U.S.A. is suffering.

You monster, you unspeakable beast, what lesson did you hope to teach us by your cowards/ attach on our country? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed.

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause! Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve! Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together!

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a family nonetheless. We've frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae - a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon nouse. We are wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods and, maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though - and peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing to do and we do it. And we are the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a JUST and LOVING god.

Some people -- you, perhaps -- think that any or all of this makes us weak. You are mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals. Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this is not a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, not the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before.

But, there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length in the pursuit of justice.

I tell you whis without fear of contradiction. I know that my people tell you with without fear of contradiction as, I believe, you also know. What I know reassures me; it also causes me to tremble with dread of the future.

In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad -- but determined, too, unimaginably determined.

You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold. As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.

So, I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occures to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And that this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started. But, you're about to learn that.

Cole Holmes, M.A.
Director of Advising
McCombs School of Business
University of Texas at Austin
GSB 4.114
phone - (512) 471-0690
fax - (512) 471-2388

Bravo!!!!!!!! Thank you for that....wish I could have put it so eloquently and exact.

Phil & Jill (from NY)

While the thoughts and prayers of everyone are greatly appreciated by the American people, might I suggest you save your thoughts and prayers for those responsible for this dastardly act of war. We will survive and continue.....each and everyone that is responsibe is about to be totally erased from this Earth. The American people who lost their lives had no idea what happened; however, those that are about to die know full well of their Fate. They best commend their soul to Allah, because their Ass is OURS!

Brothers and Sisters--

This is a good message. But now you can address it it Osama Bin Laden.

If revenge and "erasing people from the face of the earth," is the answer. Then Japan has all rights to wipe out the US, to revenge Heroshima!!! THey had more lives to be vengeful for. Please don't reply with " What about Pearl Harbor?" THe bombing of Pearl Harbor, (although I don't agree with) was a strategic move by Japan on US.Military. Hiroshima and Nagasaki (or whatever) was inhumain. If Japan thoughts are as unrational as ECH.MD the whole world will come to an end. The US needs to take time in their decision making. I hope the invenstigation takes long, to allow the current US "macho mentality " to die down. I agree with war, but not nuclear!!

I am sorry, is a counter attack revenge? Then so be it. Also, when you do mount a counter attack, what is the objective? To neutralize the enemy by what ever means necessary and take the ground and hold it. General Patton said it very well, “no one ever won a war by giving his life for his country; you make the GD/SOB enemy give HIS life for his country. He also said, “War is Hell.” I know it’s hell, I have been in one, have you? In fact, my family has participated in every war since the Revolution (Samuel Auxier and John Graham). We even provided participants to BOTH sides of our own War Between the States. My grandfather was in the Battle of the Argonne, my father the battle of Normandy, my older brother, Korea and yours truly, Vietnam. So, yes, I can speak with first hand knowledge about the horrors of war; the massive destruction and death. Any one who enjoys war is certifiably crazy. And one would do what is necessary to bring it to a swift end.
You mention THE BOMB in Japan. You said Pearl was a strategic move for the Japanese. What do you think Hiroshima and Nagasaki were? How soon after the bombs were dropped did Japan sue for unconditional surrender? 4 days! WWII came to a screeching halt in four days! How many American lives were saved by this drastic act? Or would your war strategy dictate we continue island hopping with the loss of a couple hundred thousand more troops until we got to Tokyo.
And your comment that Japan had/has the right to wipe out the U.S.A. in retaliation for the Bomb. You seem to forget, Japan lost. We won. The only rights losers have is what the winners give them. That is basically why we have war. There is a winner and a loser. And, along those lines, you don’t have many winners through out history charged as war criminals do you?
You said Hiroshima and Nagasaki were inhumane. Tell me, what part of war is humane? You agree with war but not nuclear war. I can tell by the way you have written this post, you have not been in a war. You seem to think wars are fought by some sort of rule book and everyone abides by the rules. The U.S.A. has been attacked. We are at war. Do we give them time to apologize, to reload, or do we strike back with swiftness and resolve to send a message to the world that this will not be tolerated ever again.

when japan attacked pearl harbour they hit military targets,not innocent people,when the two bombs were dropped i believe about 200,000 people were killed.the japanesse were going to defend their island at all cost including women and children,as horrible as dropping the bombs were the human cost of the people defending japan would have been much higher if it would have been invaded,not including allied troops that would have been killed.these terrorist operate within the borders of countries with the full knowledge and support of these governments,and the majority of the people.areal lesson has to be dropped on these people so they know if we allow terrorists in to plot and carry out their plans we die to .if the us.of a. can do it with a few nuclear and neutron bombs, so no american and allied people are at risk to lose their lives well go for it,it has to be done...

I beg to differ with you John...... in their quest for military targets.....they also hit civilians.
A painful fact of war....people do get killed.
The following are the Stats for Pearl on 7 December 1941

PERSONNEL KILLED
Navy 2001 (Over 1000 just on the USS Arizona alone)
Marine Corps 109
Army 231
Civilian 54

PERSONNEL WOUNDED
Navy 710
Marine Corps 69
Army 364
Civilian 35

SHIPS
Sunk or beached 12
Damaged 9

AIRCRAFT
Destroyed 164
Damaged 159