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 to Events - Shows Variety of Feelings Citizens are Furious, Sad, Revengeful, Non-Violent & Skeptical GOP-Critics Give Bush at Least Temporary Benefit of the Doubt |
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Compiled By GayToday
"News reports also say that Bin Laden has called on Muslims around the world to kill Americans wherever they can, however they can. His supporters acted on that call when they killed people in New York City and at the Pentagon, even if bin Laden himself wasn't piloting the killer planes. "I am an American. Therefore, I am a potential target of this mass murderer. So are you, if you are an American. It doesn't matter whether you are gay or straight, male or female, black or white, old or young. This is equal-opportunity murder. "If you found out that a deranged stalker was after you, wouldn't you take whatever steps were necessary to protect yourself? There is such a stalker. He lives in Afghanistan, but has agents around the globe. He also has hundreds of millions of dollars at his disposal.
"Unfortunately, the West has no FDR or Churchill to lead it now, as it did during WWII. To the contrary, our country is stuck with a president who is both illegitimate and incompetent. Nonetheless, we have to act now in order to avoid more scenes of mass carnage carried out in the name of Allah. Otherwise, you, your friends, or your lovers may be next. "Although I support the war now, I know I'll end up opposing it at some point. Eventually, the American military-industrial complex will hijack this war and divert it to its own ends: setting up client regimes in the Middle East, taking over Middle Eastern resources and markets. I also know that every war brings unintended calamities to all participants. "Even so, I support the war for now, and urge everyone else to do so, too. We can't forget the terrible lesson of Hitler. Mass murderers who exercise state power must be stopped as soon as possible, and by whatever means it takes. "I knew the 21st century would be worse than its predecessor. I'm very sorry to see the horror start so soon." Bob Kunst, Veteran Anti-Bush Activist
"We'll see if Bush really knows what he's doing to defend us against the terrorists and we'll wait to see if he learns how to stop them. It won't be too long before his abilities will shine, one way or another," he said. "We must hold him to a high standard and not let him escape with that blank check book ." Kunst and his lover attended a post-attack rally in Bayfront Park. Patriotic citizens gathered from many locales. "When the rally was over," he said, "and folks lit candles, the grassroots mingled to sing God Bless America and the Anthem, and didn't seem to want to leave, and sensed the importance of so many diverse peoples coming together for a common purpose." Parents Share Views After Losing Son Other defining statements forwarded to GayToday included one in particular by parents, titled "Not in Our Son's Name." Phyllis and Orlando Rodriguez's son Greg is missing at the World Trade Center. They have asked that people widely share their feelings: Not in Our Son's Name Saturday, Sep 15, 2001 8:35pm Our son Greg is among the many missing from the World Trade Center attack. Since we first heard the news, we have shared moments of grief, comfort, hope, despair, fond memories with his wife, the two families, our friends and neighbors, his loving colleagues at Cantor Fitzgerald / ESpeed, and all the grieving families that daily meet at the Pierre Hotel. We see our hurt and anger reflected among everybody we meet. We cannot pay attention to the daily flow of news about this disaster. But we read enough of the news to sense that our government is heading in the direction of violent revenge, with the prospect of sons, daughters, parents, friends in distant lands dying, suffering, and nursing further grievances against us. It is not the way to go. It will not avenge our son's death. Not in our son's name. Our son died a victim of an inhuman ideology. Our actions should not serve the same purpose. Let us grieve. Let us reflect and pray. Let us think about a rational response that brings real peace and justice to our world. But let us not as a nation add to the inhumanity of our times. Copy of letter to White House: Dear President Bush: Our son is one of the victims of Tuesday's attack on the World Trade Center. We read about your response in the last few days and about the resolutions from both Houses, giving you undefined power to respond to the terror attacks. Your response to this attach does not make us feel better about our son's death. It makes us feel worse. It makes us feel that our government is using our son's memory as a justification to cause suffering for other sons and parents in other lands. It is not the first time that a person in your position has been given unlimited power and came to regret it. This is not the time for empty gestures to make us feel better. It is not the time to act like bullies. We urge you to think about how our government can develop peaceful, rational solutions to terrorism, solutions that do not sink us to the inhuman level of terrorists.
Sincerely, |
