a few items of note

#1 may i direct your attention to an eloquent and outspoken user lokust.

freedom.

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#2 there is an Associated Press photograph taken by Adel Hana, published in the September 13 issue of the Rocky Mountain News of Yasser Arafat donating blood to the victims of September 11.

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#3 i work at a factory underneath a small hydroelectric dam in a small tourist town called Estes Park.
the dam has been blockaded and manned by policemen, as has the power plant. i saw police questioning people who were parked at a putt-putt golf course underneath the dam.

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#4 my friend Little Fyodor just wrote to me the following, and i will pass it on word for word:

quote
Re:

is it true that we have to keep our mouths shut and
support our government, when
something horrible,
unspeakable, unbelievable has happened, and deep down
we
actually fear that we may
have, at least partially, "brought it on ourselves" ?


Perhaps the best thing now is to focus on the present,
and the future, and to point out that aping our
adversaries will only bring on more of the same.
There's nothing we can do about the past. Well, we
can apologize and make restitution when both the crime
and the solution are clear, but in the case of crimes
we may or may not have committed toward whomever our
attackers deem themselves to be speaking for (and even
THIS is unclear for obvious reasons), the case is much
murkier. One thing to remember is that in almost all
cases, people think they are in the right. That goes
for those who attacked us, it goes for the Cold
Warriors who felt (not without some good reason) that
stopping the Soviet Union was worth all other vices
performed in the name of that goal. And I believe
that no country on earth does not have blood on its
hands from past actions.

So what to do? Focus on the future. Focus on not
being brought down to the level of terrorists. Focus
on not angering a whole new generation unless they are
angered by actions that we feel are 100% justified and
not simply the expression of reactionary anger.

Here's three articles I would recommend for ammunition
to help articulate these ideas:

http://reason.com/hod/jw091201.html
http://salon.com/news/feature/2001/09/12/blowback/index.html
http://reason.com/hod/cf091101.html
http://salon.com/news/feature/2001/09/13/bin_laden_primer/index.html
Good luck.

unquote

more items of note

#5 i found myself in 100% total agreement with Rush Limbaugh (gasp!) today as he said the move is on to escalate national security at the expense of personal freedom. people are champing at the bit to give up theirs and yours and my personal freedoms right now when fear is the primary motivator. your freedom is THE thing that makes this country great, and the best way to combat this attack is to find a way to secure the freedom of everyone in this country.

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#6
quote
Palestinians donate blood in Gaza hospital September 12, 2001, for the victims of yesterday's terrorist attacks in the United States. Palestinians said they sympathized with the victims of the attack in the United States despite their criticism of U.S. support for Israel during the Palestinian uprising. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
unquote

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#7 ever the sharp one, jinxmalone was astute enough to begin circulating email addresses of people in power in the USA, so that you may voice your opinion on what should be done. this is bigger than all of us, make your voice heard.
your opinion counts. even if you disagree with me.
so does mine, even if i disagree with you.
this is the link to her informative post.

peace.

(no subject)

Click here to see Arafat giving blood.

distribute this! US media is sidelining this powerful, symbolic action, while inflammatory photos of Palestinians celebrating are aired.

my letter to the President of the United States

September 13, 2001

Dear Mr. President,

Our nation is blinded in the confusing fog of overwhelming sadness, anger and fear. Even as I write these words, my eyes well with these emotions, to the extent that it is difficult to write these words through the tears. I share with the rest of our country the struggle to bear the reality of the horrible day of September 11, 2001. The people of the United States are looking to you, our government and our military, in anxious waiting to discover what the reaction will be to these hideous, unspeakable acts. My opinions may be in the unheard minority, so I feel it doubly necessary to voice them to you.

I feel sick at the loss of innocent life. I can not bear the idea of our nation spilling more innocent blood as an emotional, vengeful retaliation for what happened. How could we stand for more misery and death, even in the name of Justice? I hope that we, as a country, can find our so-longed-for justice with a civil and peaceful, yet strong method, one that will make the world look to us and say; "They were justified to carry out heaviest, deadliest vengeance, and yet they acted with an even and wise hand!" We do not need more bloodshed. We, the world, need peace.

I am appalled to learn of the atrocious beatings, death threats and aggressive words and actions against our fellow United States citizens of Arabic descent. I implore you to use the Presidency as a bully pulpit to firmly denounce these attitudes and actions so hurtful to us as a whole.

Finally, I must voice my opinion that the United States' strong ties to Israel, a country that has not acted peacefully toward its neighbors since its inception, be reconsidered. Until Israel acts with true commitment to peace, justice and equality with the Palestinian people, I believe that aligning ourselves with this country does not serve our national interest, and brings the people of our country in direct peril.

All of my hopes are with you during these terrible days. May your decisions be wise.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Chris Reider

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send your letter to
president@whitehouse.gov