I love this country. I always have. I always will. But there is something very disturbing about the way it is reacting to this tragedy. A Reuters poll recently reported that 71 percent of Americans were ready to see the United States go to war over last week =s attack. Over two-thirds also believe that killing innocent people in retribution would be okay.We 're all angry. We all want to find those who are behind these attacks. But is this what Americans really want? To respond to violence with more violence? To respond to death with more death?The attack against America must be treated as a criminal matter, not a military one. We must find who is behind this atrocity and bring them to justice. We cannot retaliate against any nation with terrorist acts of our own.
An eye for an eye is even more unsound in this case. Some of the perpetrators may die, but the majority who would perish in the imminent bombings had nothing to do with the tragedy on American soil. They will be no different than the thousands dead in the World Trade Center, simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.A moral code that considers American lives far more important than those of the Afghanis is one limited by nationalism and racism. Does a Western democracy have more of a right to kill innocent people than an Islamic fundamentalist group? So what will happen if we bomb them anyway? We will likely spark a cycle of retaliation, in which more terrorist attacks will occur on American soil and abroad. Biological, chemical and even nuclear weapons could be unleashed. We may even earn ourselves a new Vietnam War. At the very least, thousands will die at our hands. War and violence must be the absolute last resort in a modern world in which the ultimate goal must be peace. We have many other, effective options available to us. I agree with George W. Bush when he states that what we need is a "War on Terrorism." But to bring meaningful change, it must be a war waged through diplomacy and social policy on all terrorism and against violence in general. Although at first, perhaps, less fulfilling emotionally than stark vengeance, if we truly want to incapacitate world terrorism, we are going to have to target our war at its root causes.
The Great Wall of China was built to protect against "terrorist" attacks by "barbarian" foreigners. Though it looked strong, it wasn't always effective. We need to think deeply about how to create a safer world. Social justice helps bring a secure peace. Until we adequately address poverty, totalitarianism, racism, violence and human rights abuses there will always be terrorism of one brand or another. Terrorism is the symptom, not the disease. A military war is likely to aggravate exactly what we are trying to reform. The courageous New York firefighters, police officers and rescue workers symbolize the kind of immediate action we need after this sort of tragedy. They have shown us the importance of unity, compassion and bravery in the service of helping, not harming. As Martin Luther King Jr. said: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
by Matthew Haney, Hearts &
Minds Volunteer |
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Television
news stations covering the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks and their aftermath report that American patriotism,
loyalty, and unity are at their level highest levels in decades. I, on the other hand, have
never been more disappointed in America or Americans. 
Retaliation is an inherently flawed concept. It attempts to legitimate actions
otherwise criminal, if those actions are undertaken in response to crimes previously
committed by others. Retaliation means doing what you think is wrong simply because
someone else did it first.