America Still Doesn't Get It

I commend the patriotism and much needed words of comfort that Mr. Pitts of the Miami Herald offers to this nation. However, I want him to pause for the answer to his most poignant question to those responsible- "What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack?" Mr. Pitt rushes to say - "Whatever it was, please know that you failed". If they wanted to get our attention, they got it. If they wanted to disrupt our daily routine, they are successful. This is where he doesn't get it.

All week the politicians, civic and religious leaders have proclaimed this nation's resolve that we are not disrupted; that we will go back to our daily routines; that we are going back to business as usual. It is our attitudes of business as usual. That's why we're so hated. America still doesn't get it.

Colin Powell says it's probably Osama bin Laden. Ok, maybe so. Whoever it was must have been pretty pissed off at this nation. Multi-millionaires do not routinely and directly finance terrorist activities. Well-educated and skilled men do not routinely and deliberately kill themselves by flying planes into buildings. Why do they do it? What's their point? What do they have to say to us? I want the answer. I probably wont agree with their point or their methodology, but I want the answer. I may join some fellow Americans and say let's take them out for good, but I want the answer.

I have a funny feeling that the answer is rooted in American imperialism, crimes, hypocrisy, and greed in her international dealings as well as treatment of her own people in her own land. Like it or not, there are those whose way of life is different from ours. The American quest for prosperity is shortsighted. The whole world is not obsessed with a new car, or a swimming pool in the back yard. We can find and kill bin Laden or anybody else. Some of us need that for closure. Common sense compels me to believe that before he put his first dollar behind a bullet, bomb, or hijacking, bin Laden knew his days were numbered. But how do you kill an ideology, or a different way of thinking? America still doesn't get it.

I want to see an international dialogue and debate emerge from this. The debate is not pro-terrorist vs. anti-terrorist. No civilized people are pro-terrorist. The debate is not whether our way of life has been attacked, but why? The debate is whether this televised disaster is a wake-up call, or a rallying call to dig our heels in and do business as usual.

The sins of this nation are being visited upon this nation. What goes around comes around. They are without respect to generations, political ideologies, race, or individual responsibilities. The Roman Empire began to fall as it veered off-course from its fundamental values. Generations to come will study the rise and fall of America.

The other day a friend said that America appears not to believe in anything that much. It is sad but true. America still doesn't get it.

Victor A. Owens 9/14/2001

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2001

Answers

One word not heard nearly enough anymore is "liberty". We're not perfect, but America and nations like her are lands of liberty. Even with all of our past sins and present ills, even for all the times we've denied liberty and justice to people, people the world over still beg to get into countries practicing western democracy. And it isn't just for wealth, it's for liberty.

In a land of liberty you can live pretty much how you please, including the lifestyle of a devout Muslim. I refuse to live as a Muslim, but I'm glad I have the right to change my mind on that down the road. A new car is not my greatest goal, but I'm glad I have the option to make my greatest goal if I want.

11th century minds like that of the fundamentalist Muslim have no conception of liberty, only hard rules that they want to apply to everyone. Anyone who disagrees with them is an infidel, and worthy of death. Liberty to them is a threat because it introduces new ideas. People think outside the box, including some very non-Muslim thoughts like "Jesus is Lord!" In time ideas like that might bring them down, so they outlaw free press, the internet, and TV ownership.

I intend to pay with my blood and treasure for my liberties. No Muslim fanatic, or anyone else is going to take those from me. The cost of liberty since 1776 has been high. I'll not drop the ball on my watch even if it costs my life or that of my son. Death first! GET IT???

Here's the deal Victor in case you still don't: You don't dictate to this country. You try to persuade us, and if you can't, oh well. We enjoy the liberty to do as WE see fit, and it's protected by might. Military might, financial might, diplomatic might, constitutional might, religious might, whatever works on the party of the 2nd part. We especially don't learn lessons through force. Dictators and their subjects do, people used to liberty don't.

So have your "international dialogues and debates". They've been having them for years in universities and in the UN. Thank God you have the liberty. They're nothing but a forum to bash us, and because we're convinced we're right, we've shown an extraordinary ability to ignore them. We take our liberty to do so.

This concludes my contribution to the international dialogue and debate. All further contributions will be sent to the enemies of liberty via the US Armed Forces.

Slave only to God,

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

I have mixed reactions to your commentary but feel that it is a most important commentary worthy of discussion.

America got it on Tuesday. Some organization has been planning this horrific crime for years. The attack achieved many goals. 1. The bringing down of part of the engine of America's Financial Might. 2. The use of the most "American" names in air travel to achieve this goal. 3. The assault on the very political and military machinery of the United States. 4. The visions of their success seen 24 hours a day all over the world

If you study even the angles that the planes flew into the WTC you will see that someone studied their engineering. They new those buildings would collapse from the air assault.

The net effect. The largest companies in finance and insurance have lost almost 30% of their operational and strategic planning power. Some may be filing for bankruptcy already. Consider between AON Insurance (who assist the Church in economic development)and Marsh Management 3,000 of the brightest managers and specialist are dead.

Victor I believe America got it because the markets are still closed. Reagan National Airport may never receive another commercial aircraft again.I agree with you that they don't get the reason why!

America may have spent millions in the areas of intelligence gathering around the world but they appear to have underestimated the resolve of somebody. The shooting down of passenger planes in the Gulf, Israel and Arab conflict and the fueling of groups like the Taliban to destroy the Russians may have come home to roast. America needs to get it before the bombs start dropping. Remember these pilots were trained in America not in Afganistan. I certainly don't wish them to strike again. My heart goes out to all of those who have suffered and still suffer through this awful nightmare as I too have lost someone I care for in the WTC.

May god Lead Us to a brighter day

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

Bro. Owens:

What America "doesn't get" is this:

1. Terrorism directed at unsuspecting innocent civilians manifested in mass murder.

2. Religious intolerance culminating into despotic theocracies.

3. Celebratory demonstrations of death and suffering

What America does "get" is individual libery, the rule of law, religious tolerance, scientific creativity and yes, capitalisism collectivity have made the US the greatest country to exist in the hisory of civilization despite her internal flaws. While we indeed do have a moral "enemy within" it pales in comparison to the current moral "enemy without". QED

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

Bro. Dickens:

My point is that as wonderful as this country is, it got a taste of its own medicine as devastating as it is. You know, it's right there in our own Decalogue where God said He would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.To me that means that what goes around will come around.

Victor Owens

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

Rob: You speak of the treasures of liberty and justice, and they are treasures. But when you decide to pick and choose who the beneficiaries are (as this nation has done), you are a hypocrite.

You refer to the Muslim faith as 11th century minds. When you do that, you open the door for your own faith to be characterized as 1st century minds. At the end, we have the kind of intolerance, hatred, and war we see today.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

I must admit that now that much time has elapsed since the great tragedy, many persons (including myself) have become less engaging in dialogue and more interested in retalliation. This is a very sad thing to say because we still have not gotten the message. We are (as a country) making ourselves into the victims. We are involved in terrorism regularly in countries across the Middle East and Africa. WE support military regimes that basically committ genocide all for the spread and support of democracy. I cannot stand by and allow such a false pretense of innocence to continue. The reality is that we as a country are just too relaxed to realize the infamies we bestow upon other nations because of our great military might, our economic indisparity, or our international presence. We sometimes just act like a big bully to smaller countries. We as a nation must repent! We are no longer the victims nor the victor! We are a nation headed for destruction not buy God but by our own indulgences. I do not fully agree with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, but they did bring something to the forefront, while our nations churches, synogogues and places of worship are being filled, the message is one of comfort(and rightly so) when it should also be the voice of the prophet crying REPENT!! It shouldn't become a popular message, but an empowering message. We don't need to make it a part of pop culture to go to church and pray for God to Bless America. God doesn't bless hypocrites, he reproves and corrects them! My answer to Victor's post is this: America doesn't get it and will not get it as long as we are dominated by the mentality that nothing we do is wrong and everything we do is blessed by God.

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2001

AMEN--Pastor Neal.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001