|
A Condemnation of Terrorism
Like every other writer in America, it is the bombings that I am speaking of today.
I’m forced to wonder if entertainment, as artistic as it may be, is even warranted in this case. What happened on September 11th is not simply an event for New York and Washington, but an event that has hit the entire world. This is something that has illustrated for us so effectively what we have always known logically: we are not safe in our homes and businesses any more.
Should we shut down, cut a few of our liberties in order to be safe? Hell, no. To cut corners on our Bill of Rights is to give these cowards what they’ve wanted. People speak of them as “Muslim fundamentalists” or “Arabs”, but none of these terms fit. What these people are…they’re cowards, thieves. People so petty and vindictive that they’re willing to destroy the lives of countless innocent victims just so people will pay attention to them. They’re the school bully who picks on anyone just so the teacher will punish them. What the last few days have shown is that their punishment is going to be much more than their past punishments. No more will they face international chiding. Whoever is responsible, and there are a few suspects (although Osama bin Laden appears to be the prime suspect at this point), will pay. Wherever they hide will no longer be safe. If it is bin Laden, it’s hardly relevant any more. The day of the international terrorist being able to hide in a sympathetic country is nearly at an end. No one who thinks they can strong arm the free world will be safe.
Truly, this has hit the entire world. Nations with which we’ve had our differences are looking at us and seeing the full effect of what can happen to any country in the world. These cowards (I refuse to use the word “terrorist” when coward is so much more accurate) have attacked in nearly every nation in the world, and now they’ve made the crème de la crème. They’ve destroyed the World Trade Center. They’ve made an attack on the White House, and in doing so have struck the Pentagon. And because of all this, they’re soon going to be at an end. Even Palestine, a nation with which we’ve had our definite differences, lends their support. Anyone watching CNN in the last 24 hours will see the tearful condolences sent by Yassir Arafat, followed by his quick donation of a pint of blood for the rescue efforts.
This is not going to be a quick resolution. Hopefully, our President will do more than simply punish the lone nut who has planned these things. These attacks are but symptoms of a rotten core in human nature, and one which must be eradicated at all costs. What should happen may take years, but when it happens a jubilance reminiscent of the end of World War Two is certainly possible. We can’t just find the perpetrators of this act…we must find everyone and let them know that this will not stand.
So now we arrive to the beginning of my statements. Is the lighter things of life even warranted? Major League baseball is canceled, Hollywood shut down. The Toronto Film Festival canceled its showings on the day of the attacks. We must remember a very human element at the foundation of this. It is this human element that reminds us that we are more than an economic center. We are more than a superstructure, a powerful skyscraper. What the last 200+ years have shown us is that we are united in one cause. We are not an aggressive people, but we are a people who will fight back when it is necessary. Life goes on. To suddenly freeze in our basic pursuit of happiness and satisfaction is to give these people who would try to end our free way of life the win. Despite our differences, we are one.
Similarly, we must not be so quick to give up our basic liberty in the name of safety. I’ve long been a champion of this, and these sick attacks have done nothing but reinforce my belief that we must not give up any of our basic freedoms in the thought that it will make these terroristic attacks less commonplace. Our responsibility is not only to ourselves and our country, but to the world. More importantly, we are responsible for saying that those who have died have not died in vain. We must ferret these people out, no matter where they may be hiding. We must do this, and we must…we must go on.
I sit here in a state of shock, nearly 48 hours after it’s happened I still am dumbfounded. What did we do wrong? How could we have stopped this? And then I realize…we couldn’t have stopped this. In the past, we’ve taken our hits and we’ve retreated. We grabbed Timothy McVeigh and we put him to death. We took the perpetrators of the initial WTC bombing and we placed them in prison. This is the time, and we must grab the proverbial bull by the horns. It is time to find everyone who would attack the free world and let them know that this will no longer be tolerated.
There are no more retreats. It’s in this vein that I implore you all to remember that the last few days have not simply been a declaration of the worst of human nature, but also of the best. Three hundred fire fighters are lost because they were devoted to their mission, not because they were simply in the wrong place when a group of cowards decided to hit us in the dark. Nearly 100 police officers are lost not because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but because these men were heroes.
How do we fight back? I urge you all to give blood. Go back as many times as you can in the coming months and give as much as you possibly can. Just as importantly, I hope you all stand behind our President and realize that, even though you may be like me and detest the fact that he IS our President, realize that the strongest stance we can take against this attack is to show that we ARE UNITED as one. Most importantly, don’t give up. Art, entertainment, love…these things are not to be lost in the fact of this.
We are not alone. Our continuing pursuit of happiness is the biggest slap in the face we could possibly give to those who would try to take away our sense of safety and happiness. Do not give up, and do not shed constant tears. This is not over, and I am sure we will be victorious.
Those of you who know me know I am no patriot. But the only thing that makes life bearable is the very sense that there is a world to fall back on. Despite all the unfairness in our country…in the democratic world…this is a great time to be alive. This is not the time to think of revenge, although this will be happening. We must be eager and willing to tend to our wounded, both physically and mentally. Despite all this, do I possess the rhetoric of “kill kill kill?” No. Now is the time for swiftness in finding the perpetrators, but not for some Biblical sense of revenge. We cannot let this tragedy ever be repeated. I am more concerned with giving help to those who need it right now. Don’t forget these people.
In the end…many of you out there probably had the first gut response of your loved ones. That is the crux. This is not something happening thousands of miles away. The battle is now here. After so long, it’s suddenly time to try to take care of ourselves as well as the victims, because we are the victims. This is not the time to wish for everyone else to die, but we must be swift and merciless at the same time. We cannot give up our freedom and happiness for these people.
My job, my love, my very life is devoted to film, literature, theatre. I will not allow this to suddenly end because someone out there wishes it so. As a people, we possess far more resolve than them. We are stronger, not them. Maintain your way of life. Remember and mourn those who are lost.
Those of you who know your history remember the British burning the White House. My friends, it was these COWARDS who wanted to burn it yet again. Instead, it was the Pentagon that was hit. We’ve faced more difficult situations before, and we know that it takes more than an attack on pretty buildings to destroy our will. Nothing will stop us from shining our beacon. I do not speak as an American, but as a lover of freedom. Imagine Russia right now…they are in the same incredulous shock as we are. China, Japan, Germany, France, England…every one of them feels the same as we do. If you know someone who may have perished, the prayers of all of us are with you today.Good luck to you all and, for any religious readers…God Bless.