- I've deliberately avoided comment
on the New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania attacks/crashes, as
my emotions were clearly too jumbled, most likely as everyone's
have been. After nearly a week of deliberation, I realized that my
anger and horror boil down to one issue.
- Racism.
- Even in these weeks of the UN having to meet to
'discuss' racism, we as a country are attacked. Not for our
ideals, not for purposes of theft, not for retribution, but
because of how we think as a nation, a government, and
individuals.
- I've propounded for years that racism is the most
dangerous issue facing our world today. Not hunger, not economic
development, not religion, not disease, global warming, or nuclear
weapons. Most of these problems will dissipate at the end of the
day when racism is no longer a factor.
- Yet in light of this tragedy, what has already
been forgotten?
- People are already being attacked for being from
Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Emirates. **
-
- There is no honor in the theft of life. Physical
or emotional.
-
- I watch the news, speak to people, read the
e-mails like any other human across the world. Not just here in
the States, as evidenced by the mail that comes from friends and
fans around the globe, and as demonstrated by the dozens of
websites that have added forums for international visitors.
- Racism caused this tragedy, and if this country
and others don't realize this small, simple fact, WE
ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT!!! THIS WILL HAPPEN ONCE MORE!!
- We are human beings. Five-fingered. Other human
beings have harmed our homelands. Those responsible should and
will be brought to justice, and from my view, with their lives
finished out in great pain and suffering. But not because of their
skin color, their religion, or their cultural sense. But because
they committed a heinous crime against their fellow man, a crime
that cost lives, a crime that destroyed innocence.
- Realize that many of those from the Middle East
are frightened for their lives in this time of hate, death, and
potential war. They are fearful of retribution for acts they
didn't commit. I saw one man from India in the airport on Friday,
wearing a badge prominently on his jacket. It said, "I'm not
Muslim, I'm from India, and I hurt too." Because his skin is
brown, because he has the characteristics of someone from the
Middle East, he felt he was a target. Is this right? Even in the
aftermath of what has happened? I submit not. In fact, I'm enraged
that it could ever be perceived otherwise. Many of these people
left their homelands to escape oppression, retribution, and in
search of a better life. Just like most of our ancestors did. We
can't change what happened, much as I wish we could. There isn't a
soul in this country that isn't affected in some form by the
tragedy. I too, lost friends in the attack. But to make this
tragedy become something we can move forward from, we first must
be certain that the people who have been murdered on the fateful
day did not die in vain. Let our losses stand for something good,
for a better sense of humanity, for a stronger sense of purpose.
We can't allow our love for those lost, our compassion for their
families pain, our own hurts and bewilderments to be dimmed by
hatred and retribution upon other innocents.
- We're all angry, we're all hurt, we're all
stunned, bewildered, and without words. There never will be words
for this occasion, as it's never happened before, and I pray we'll
never allow it to happen again. But it all starts with tolerance.
Honor the innocent lives lost by preserving innocent lives that
are still here. Recognize and direct the anger to those who
warrant it, to those who caused the loss. Let those who perished
be honored with the knowledge that their pain was not in vain,
that they lost their lives in the war of racism. And that we as a
world society, have become a better people for their loss.
- I pray that this is the beginning of the end of
this disease, that the hurt is great
enough that we alter the course of destiny to assure that it is
never allowed to happen again.
- May the Creator bless all of us. May we choose to
walk in beauty. No matter how much it hurts......
