I drive down main and see so many cars with miniture American flags waving madly as they drive past. I am brought to tears b/c I get a flash back of years gone by, whereas, our ancestors may have witnessed the same; Old Glory waving madly as the Calvary attacked.

I will bring this tragedy into a new light; my p.o.v. Don't get me wrong, I am crushed as an "American" of these recent horrific tragedies. But I am more concerned with the loss of "life" and not really on structures. Yes, I feel sympathy for the families, friends and relatives lost. I hope more ppl are found, alive, in the destruction. But this brings me back to my original p.o.v. - where was the government when Native American tribes were being attacked? Where was our retaliation? Oh, I forgot, the government was leading the charge... Does our blood and the blood of so many other nationalities not matter? This, OUR blood, is what this precious country was founded upon. To bring the word "civilized" into this only demeans how America perceives itself... Is it civilized to collect ppl and sell them b/c they are less than human? These magnificent kings, queens and warriors brought from Africa, to do your bidding? How dare you, America, rape and pillage Native villages for your own quest for gold and glory. How about the Asians brought from their homelands, to build your rails and to wash your linens? You know what "they" say? You reap what you sow...

i think we must stay calm and ti study the whole situation in all the most little particulars...and then...may god help the terrorist,because the western world won't have any pity...
god bless USA and Italy...

America, you've done so much for us, now we done much for you!

Frank Stary, Germany

I received this email today and would like to share it with you , as well as post my personal opinion on this matter:


Ok this is a forward, but it made some sense. So I
> am passing it on to a
> few people.
>
> Love always
> Madhumita
>
> Dear Friends,
> The following was sent to me by my friend Tamim
> Ansary. Tamim is an Afghani-American writer. He is
> also one of the most brilliant people I know in this
> life. When he writes, I read. When he talks, I
> listen. Here is his take on Afghanistan and the
> whole
> mess we are in.
> -Gary T.
>
>
> Dear Gary and whoever else is on this email thread:
>
> I've been hearing a lot of talk about "bombing
> Afghanistan back to the Stone Age." Ronn Owens, on
> KGO
> Talk Radio today, allowed that this would mean
> killing
> innocent people, people who had nothing to do with
> this atrocity, but "we're at war, we have to accept
> collateral damage. What else can we do?" Minutes
> later I heard some TV pundit discussing whether we
> "have the belly to do what must be done."
>
> And I thought about the issues being raised
> especially
> hard because I am from Afghanistan, and even though
> I've lived here for 35 years I've never lost track
> of
> what's going on there. So I want to tell anyone who
> will listen how it all looks from where I'm
> standing.
>
> I speak as one who hates the Taliban and Osama Bin
> Laden. There is no doubt in my mind that these
> people
> were responsible for the atrocity in New York. I
> agree
> that something must be done about those monsters.
>
> But the Taliban and Ben Laden are not Afghanistan.
> They're not even the government of Afghanistan. The
> Taliban are a cult of ignorant psychotics who took
> over Afghanistan in 1997. Bin Laden is a political
> criminal with a plan. When you think Taliban,think
> Nazis. When you think Bin Laden, think Hitler. And
> when you think "the people of Afghanistan" think
> "the
> Jews in the concentration camps." It's not only
> that
> the Afghan people had nothing to do with this
> atrocity. They were the first victims of the
> perpetrators. They would exult if someone would come
> in there, take out the Taliban and clear out the
> rats
> nest of international thugs holed up in their
> country.
>
> Some say, why don't the Afghans rise up and
> overthrow
> the Taliban? The answer is, they're starved,
> exhausted, hurt, incapacitated, suffering. A few
> years
> ago, the United Nations estimated that there are
> 500,000 disabled orphans in Afghanistan--a country
> with no economy, no food. There are millions of
> widows. And the Taliban has been burying these
> widows
> alive in mass graves. The soil is littered with
> land
> mines, the farms were all destroyed by the Soviets.
> These are a few of the reasons why the Afghan people
> have not overthrown the Taliban.
>
> We come now to the question of bombing Afghanistan
> back to the Stone Age. Trouble is, that's been done.
> The Soviets took care of it already. Make the
> Afghans
> suffer? They're already suffering. Level their
> houses?Done. Turn their schools into piles of
> rubble?
> Done. Eradicate their hospitals? Done. Destroy
> their
> infrastructure? Cut them off from medicine and
> health
> care? Too late. Someone already did all that.
>
> New bombs would only stir the rubble of earlier
> bombs.
> Would they at least get the Taliban? Not likely. In
> today's Afghanistan, only the Taliban eat, only they
> have the means to move around. They'd slip away and
> hide. Maybe the bombs would get some of those
> disabled
> orphans, they don't move too fast, they don't even
> have wheelchairs. But flying over Kabul and dropping
> bombs wouldn't really be a strike against the
> criminals who did this horrific thing. Actually it
> would only be making common cause with the
> Taliban--by
> raping once again the people they've been raping all
> this time.
>
> So what else is there? What can be done, then? Let
> me
> now speak with true fear and trembling. The only way
> to get Bin Laden is to go in there with ground
> troops.
> When people speak of "having the belly to do what
> needs to be done" they're thinking in terms of
> having
> the belly to kill as many as needed. Having the
> belly
> to overcome any moral qualms about killing innocent
> people. Let's pull our heads out of the sand. What's
> actually on the table is Americans dying. And not
> just
> because some Americans would die fighting their way
> through Afghanistan to Bin Laden's hideout. It's
> much
> bigger than that folks. Because to get any troops to
> Afghanistan, we'd have to go through Pakistan. Would
> they let us? Not likely. The conquest of Pakistan
> would have to be first. Will other Muslim nations
> just
> stand by? You see where I'm going. We're flirting
> with
> a world war between Islam and the West.
>
> And guess what: that's Bin Laden's program. That's
> exactly what he wants. That's why he did this. Read
> his speeches and statements. It's all right there.
> He
> really believes Islam would beat the west. It might
> seem ridiculous, but he figures if he can polarize
> the
> world into Islam and the West, he's got a billion
> soldiers. If the west wreaks a holocaust in those
> lands, that's a billion people with nothing left to
> lose, that's even better from Bin Laden's point of
> view. He's probably wrong, in the end the west
> would
> win, whatever that would mean, but the war would
> last
> for years and millions would die, not just theirs
> but
> ours. Who has the belly for that? Bin Laden does.
> Anyone else?
>
> Tamim Ansary
>
>
> "...Never sleep, cause' sleep is the cousin of
> death..."
> ~(NAS)


MY THOUGHTS:::
It does make sense, but what about the innocent Americans going to work everyday at the WTC? What about the innocent victims of the hijacked planes? What about the hundreds of "heroes" who ran to the tragic scene and lost their lives in an attempt to save others( firefighters, medical personel, cops..) What about the innocent bystanders who never made it after the collapse? And how about the ones who DID make it, they have no job to return to, must find another way to feed their children... and those who lost their homes.. Further more, what about the the rest of us who have lost someone? Things will never be the same again.
The email spoke of the people of Afghan. I truly feel for their pain and suffering, but their government has been conquered by evil. And the evil resides in Afghanistan. They may hate the United States for whatever reason but it definitely isn't for personal reasons towards the American people lost. I really don't think bin Laden and the others on the list took into consideration what we Americans will be suffering. I believe in an eye for an eye.
The terrorists have unspokenly declared war on the United States. We have lost thousands and thousands of innocent people. If the terrorists are hiding out in Afghan then thats what we have to go after. What else can be done? The email spoke of Islam versus the West if the US moves forward with military action... I beleive that is going to happen regardless. The Pakistanian government claims to be on our side but how are we going to trust them if they kiss the ground bin Laden walks on?
Yes it does make sense that bin Laden does want to see a war between Islam and the West but if nothing is done by the US, I truly feel that is going to happen regardless. SO what are the United States waiting for--are we just going to sit back and let our free country's innocent civilians die without retaliation and wait until the Islamic govt powers up to surprise us with a WAR or are we going to do what needs to be done-see that justice is served, retaliation is accomplished and get the terrorists for their wrongdoing?!?
~K.Wu

To K. Wu for Tamin Ansary

Part of the reply is in the London Times.
2001320010-2001325231%2C00.html, http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001320010-2001325231,00.html
Secret plans for a 10-year war...

No doubt in my mind, they saw the trap.

I believe the troops are moving to make a smoke screen while they are approaching Massood's Northern Alliance and considering other options than force.

The world is not so dumb.
The comparison of Ben Laden with Hitler and the Taliban with the Nazis makes sense.

I'll make it short, my previous post took a lot of space on this forum.

Keep hoping, see where Germany is now.

Regards,

Michel.

To Whom it May Concern:
Our Nation has been damaged by your inhumane actions. You, who we don't even know, you have destroyed our property, you have destroyed our security, you have destroyed the lives of our husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, our sisters and brothers. You have even destroyed our children. You who we've never even met. So let us introduce ourselves. We are a peaceful nation, we believe in a respect of opinions of mankind, we believe in our creator, we believe we have certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We believe in 'We the People of the United States of America.' We are the sleeping giant that you have awoken. Its true, you who we've never met, have destroyed a part of us, but you haven't destroyed our spirit, because we were made in the U.S.A. and that comes with a guarantee: We guarantee that when we meet you face-to-face we are going to kick your ass.
Signed,

We the People of the United States of America

What were you thinking????????

Did you think that you would get us to apologize for being defenders of freedom?
Did you think that we would turn from God and worship your Allah?
Maybe you thought that we would shrink away in fear of you and your rag tag band of knife wielding thugs.
You poor, twisted, simple minded fool. You would have been safer if you had poked a sleeping lion with a sharp stick.
We were a nation sitting in our pajamas, on our couch, watching our leaders bicker between political parties about a poor economy.
If you really wanted to hurt us, you should have left us alone. Instead, you sucker punched us.
What you managed to do is to get us off of our butts and on our feet. You can bet that we are awake now, AND WE ARE PISSED!
If you were trying to divide us, you have been a collosal failure. I can think of nothing that would have rallied us together faster or stronger than to murder our wives, husbands, sons and daughters.
If you had any inclination as to who we were, you would have known that we come from every walk of life. Our ability to whip your ass comes on more levels than you can imagine.
What you managed to do, is to get us to put aside our differences and stand as one. Because of you, American flags are off the store shelves and flying proudly from countless flag poles and car antennas. You have resurected a patriotism that has not been seen in our country in years.
A warrior would stand and fight, so where are you? You are just another yappy dog with his tail between his legs.
Make no mistake, we will we will hunt you to the very gates of hell. There isn't one safe place on God's green earth for you to hide.
Please enjoy these few days while we collect ourselves and count the ways that we will chew you up.
I really have to ask, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???"

to the american people:
I have always believed in all people until proven wrong. this trip has been even more than I can tolerate. I am 56 years of age and have worked as a nurse my whole adult life and I have never before seen this much distruction and heartache. the people that lived, the people that died, and the families of both. to the firemen and policemen and the volunteers my heart goes out to you. I as a nurse know partly what you are seeing and it is beyond even my knowledge of what you are going through. I watch tv in awe, I have spent more time crying with disbelief that this many people have stood together through all of this. I know there will be a day that everyone will go back to fighting due to prejudices and our day to day lives, but I as an american appreciate you and all concerned. there was a lady on the phone on fox4 news that criticized the firemen and policemen for resting and taking a break from all the things they were doing and seeing. I even know what that is like. but I wish you well and hope the ones that count remember you fondly.
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL HIS CHILDREN.
SINCERELY
CHASTITY_71744

WAS IT ISRAEL'S INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, MOSSAD..??

I would like all the readers of this message board to do the following:

Goto a wordprocessor and type in 'Q33NY', the transponder code of one of the planes that hit the WTC. Go to the fonts icon and click on 'Wingdings', and then SEE FOR YOURSELF./????
Five symbols will replace this code with A STAR, A PLANE, DANGER SIGN and two more symbols which I have so far not been able to figure out. The planes transponder code was used as a 'SECRET CODE' in these attacks by the ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.
The STAR is similar to the one on the ISRAEL'S national flag.

Hello.
I am a proud American. I am a hurt New Yorker.
I feel pain. I feel anger. I am sad.
My life has changed forever. I have lost people, loved ones and co-workers.

BUT I have a different view that I want to share and that nobody seems to be willing to consider.

I urge you to consider and possibly understand that as much as they are unjustified and unjustifiable, these terrible attacks have a reason. There are responsabilities that none seems to be willing to accept.

Truly horrible crimes against humanity did take place, but not just in New York or at the Pentagon!

We MUST understand that America's foreign policy of oppression, imperialism, resource exploiting and lack of respect had to create some kind of response sooner or later.
America has killed thousands of people in the middle eastern countries. We killed them for years. We had NO respect. But we do NOT want to know, or we seem not to be interested. We didn't watch and didn't listen while our government was killing them for years.

Now we feel hurt, we feel attacked, we feel vulnerable, but instead of joining our forces to kill more people than those who got killed already (in NY, in Washington DC as well as in the middle eastern countries) I urge you to understand that it is our fault if there are people that hate us! We have to change to prevent future attacks from happening. That is the only way to go! We can't just take off with our planes and bomb countries with thousands of innocent people (many of them feel our pain and feel sympathy too, you gotta believe it!).

We MUST find who knocked down the World Trade Center and we MUST punish them.
But we CANNOT choose one person and make him guilty. We MUST fight terrorism but we can't kill thousands of families, women and children who unfortunately were born in a country were terrorism did proliferate.

If Bin Laden killed my city I want him to pay for it, but we need to be sure that it was him. We can't accuse him with no evidence or we will be disattending and ignoring some of the most important principles of our constitution and of our legal system.

We need to know WHO our enemy is!
Once we know, we need to understand WHY we have an enemy!
We need to understand that WHERE the enemy lives is not an entire country of terrorists!
We need to know WHAT made him/them enemies.

People do NOT hate for NO reason. We gave them plenty of reasons. We killed their people. We killed many many more than they killed in New York last week. We did it with no respect and no guilt, because they are far away from us and frankly we didn't give a damn about 'em. We killed many innocent lives in order to kill a few of the bad ones. We can't let this happen again. WE MUST KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING!

Our great president is now ready. He is ready to kill many innocents and he will use terrorism as an excuse to bomb countries he always wanted to "punish" for some unknown reason.

Our government MUST learn respect before we try to teach respect!

Our government is ready to hit. Are we ready to let MORE INNOCENT people die for no reason? Do we care about justice or is blind revenge all we really want? Do we even care?

PLEASE: I URGE YOU TO ACCEPT OUR RESPONSABILITES AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT LET MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE DIE FOR NO REASON! I URGE YOU TO PUT LOVE AHEAD OF HATE!

We must catch the bastards who killed my friends and the people of my city, but we cannot kill thousands to punish one!
Arab nations must weed out the fanatics and the terrorists, but we cannot bomb arab nations to obtain this result!

We cannot let our government use this as an excuse to further oppress the middle-eastern countries and increase their poverty to increase our richness. If we let this happen, it will happen again. They will attack us again. Sooner or later. And maybe then it will be my turn, or maybe it will be your turn to be killed in a terrorist attack.

Please remember: Allah doesn't condone suicide and murder! Not every muslim is a terrorist. Not every arab is a terrorist. Please don't be racist, please do not let hate overcome! Thousands of middle-eastern people are good people. Most of them are. Let's not be stupid and narrow-minded. Let's face it: Even though there was one crazy american who killed dozen of people in Oklahoma City, this does not make every american person a mass-killer. Likely, 10 middle-eastern kamikazee do not make every middle-eastern person a terrorist! Remember! BE INTELLIGENT!

I feel pain for my city and my town.
I want to express my deepest and most sincere sympathy, respect, love, support and grief for all the beloved ones who died and to their families and friends.

I will always remember my friends in the World Trade Center. I lost 8 friends and 12 co-workers. I have no job now. All I have is a hope: a hope for peace, love and justice. No more victims! Please!

A proud american. A hurt New Yorker.