A Civilized Response

[RHightshoe@aaamissouri.com]

---
Below is an op-ed column written by Leonard Pitts Jr, a columnist for the
> > Miami Herald.
> >
> >
> >
> > Published Wednesday, September 12, 2001

 Headline: We'll go forward from this moment
> >
> > It's my job to have something to say.
> >
> > They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which
troubles
> > the American soul. But 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 this
> > suffering.
> >
> > You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.
> >
> > What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our
World
> > Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? 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're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous
> > emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae -- a singer's revealing
dress, a
> > ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're 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 -- peace-loving and compassionate.
We
> > struggle to know the right thing and to 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're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that
> > cannot be measured by arsenals.
> >
> >
> > IN PAIN
> >
> > 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 isn't a special effect
from
> > some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't 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 this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as
you, I
> > think, do not. 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.
> >
> >
> > THE STEEL IN US
> >
> > 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 occurs 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 take 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.
> >