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A Message to Terrorists:
Your Attack Failed "Yesterday, December 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Many of you heard Franklin Roosevelt's radio speech with your own ears. Many of us learned it in school, while others have heard it on The History Channel. The attack shook the American people to the core. Nobody really believed another day of infamy was possible, not even those of us who grew up in the 1950s, when we were taught that an atomic doomsday was looming. Nobody believed it until Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Today, we have experienced massive death and destruction on our own shores. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon have killed hundreds, perhaps thousands. The New York Port Authority, responsible for policing the World Trade Center, reports that on a typical day, 10,000 people work in each tower, with an additional 5,000 visitors possible during the day. And that's just the WTC. Combined with the Pentagon and the airplane passengers, how many are dead? This abomination has three profound effects on the American people: 1) it saddens us deeply, 2) it unites us, and 3) it makes us REAL mad. Of course, it's too soon for investigators to guess who's responsible, but all media are suggesting terrorists from the Middle East, and hinting at state-sponsored terrorism. There are unconfirmed news reports of Palestinians dancing in the streets and passing out candy. That's not smart; nor is it moral to delight in the deaths of others. It may surprise you, but my message to terrorists is: "You lost today's battle! We are not impressed. Don't you get it? You cannot damage, tarnish, or demoralize the Unites States of America by driving a plane into a building. As a matter of fact, you weren't even that clever, since your plan was a ripoff of the ending of Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor. Geez, do you need an American author to make your plots for you?" For you fanatics who aren't paying attention, I'll give you the basic lessons about how Americans work: Lesson 1. We stand for things you can't destroy. Sorry, but we are the freest people on the face of the earth, and we even help other nations become free and democratic. With the exception of your sorry, tinpot, backwater country (whatever it is), people like freedom. First among these freedoms is religious freedom, which may be a new concept to you. As it turns out, we are also among the nicest and most generous people on the face of the earth. Despite some of our brush wars, we are essentially a peace-loving people. Lesson 2: We don't terrorize well. We're so big you don't have enough hijacked 757s to hit all our buildings. Viruses probably won't work. Neither will a portable nuke. Even ICBMs from a rogue state are unlikely to be very effective. And we know how to recover from disasters, too. Lesson 3. We know we have problems. You cannot exploit our problems. As a nation, we know we have conflicts over domestic and foreign issues. Race is our major, unresolved domestic issue. We also need a better energy policy and a clean environment. And we sure have messed up on some foreign policy. But you can't overthrow our government. That's our job, and every four years we hold a bloodless revolution. Lesson 4. We can beat the snot out of you. This is a bottom line even you should readily understand. Your violence begets violence. You see, in contrast to Lesson 1, we are also (when pushed into a corner) a warlike, violent, evil, sometimes brutal people. In a fight, we insist on winning. Thanks to technology and our intelligence, we are capable of utterly destroying enemies, both individuals and nations. In 1941, Roosevelt said, "The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation." In 2001, I say "We're united and we're mad. That's why you cannot
win." Barry Schoenborn is a technical writer, and a 13-year resident of Nevada County. His column appears the second Saturday of the month. barry@wvswrite.com is his e-mail address. The opinions of columnists are not necessarily those of The Union. |