Holding on to principles

[mrdick]

It is the principles that you hold fast to in the toughest of times that define you.

We in the western world pride ourselves on our tolerance and our openess; on our fairness and our justice. America has now joined most of the rest of the world in being a victim of terrorism - although clearly on an unprecedented scale. Our free and open society that makes us so strong also makes us so vulnerable to these acts. We will never be able to stop them all - such is the price of our freedom. Resist the urge to blame the government for this failure - they are already blaming themselves far more than we ever can.

Finding the culprits can take a long time. It can be very difficult. The men or women responsible are evil. Evil knows no race or religion. It is its own religion. Resist the urge for quick vengeance and easy answers. Think to yourself that the Arabs and Persians you know and see around you may very well feel threatened today - may be fearful that they will bear the brunt of our misplaced wrath. Islam is an old religion that preaches a message of tolerance and freedom not very different from that of the other major religions. If indeed an Arab group turns out to be responsible remind yourself that as we have Ted Bundy so do they have their psychopaths. Don't isolate them. Don't blame them. Show courage and bring them back into the fold. Many of them may have lost family as well. They are Americans. Allow them to grieve with us. Don't hate them - hug them. There has been too mucg hate for one day - for one lifetime. We want justice - not vengeance.

[dgmodel]

I want both... Justice and Vengence...