Re: [CH] Ch card--"Middle Eastern People"--OT
Chad A Gard (gard@indy.net)
Fri, 14 Sep 2001 17:01:08 -0500
At 11:17 AM -0500 9/14/01, Virginia Anderson wrote:
>I agree. One of the first foreign reactions to this tragedy was from Yasser
>Arafat, who was visibly and authentically upset. He then publicly gave
>blood, despite his obvious frailty, and exhorted his people to do so as
>well. Even Iran has given a heartfelt condemnation of this act. This was
>not a gimmick: every sane person, whatever their views of the United States
>and capitalism, is shocked and deplores this act. The outrage at this
>atrocity cuts across political, national and religious boundaries: the list
>of countries whose citizens have died or are still missing was scrolled by
>the BBC last night, and it was a long one. I'd imagine that many of the
>Palestinians filmed celebrating were doing so through an unthinking mob
>impulse, without considering that the attack was wholly inappropriate and
>unthinkable as a response to the grievances they feel.
>
Jim, I'm truly sorry to hear about your brother. It's incredible, and
proof of the scale of this tragedy, that even way over here in Indiana,
very few people I've spoken with don't have friends or family who were
affected by the events.
I also have to agree with Virginia, and expand a bit. While the attack was
most definately aimed at the US, it was an attack on the world. Countries,
or at least their citizens, that you really wouldn't expect have been
empathizing with us and offering support.
At lunch, NPR had an interview with a journalist that interviewed Bin Ladin
several times in the past. In passing, the host asked what the response
was in Beruit, since that's where the journalist was at the time. He said
the public was outraged and saddened, and also that a number of Lebanese
businessmen were presumeably killed in the WTC.
I doubt most of those celebrating Palestinians would have been doing so had
they realized the depth and breadth of this attrocity. However, they were
celebrating what they equated to a military and political victory over a
great foe, much as the coalition countries celebrated our victories in the
Gulf war. Had they realized that the event was not a military/plitical
victory but thousands of sensless deaths of innocent civilians from
throughout the world, I doubt the majority of them would have been
celebrating.
Their cellebration was ill-advised and poorly timed, and I think not the
message they wanted to send. I hope our response to the attack doesn't send
a simmilar message. I also can't help but feel that, essentially, we're
the victims of a genocidal campaign. Kind of puts a new spin on all of
those peacekeeping deployments....
Chad Gard, CTS KB9WXQ
INCHASE: http://www.inchase.org Co-founder
SCOA: http://www.stormchasersofamerica.org Member #3
INSWA: http://www.insw.org Unit #21