9/11/2001

US Response to Terrorist Attacks

Many terrible events have taken place today, but I fear that they may set off actions which will lead to much greater tragedies in the future. We have been attacked by someone apparently wishing to do the US as much harm as possible and these attacks have indeed been extremely painful.  If we wish to forstall future attacks, I think that our response must consider not only who performed these attacks and how they were carried out, but also why anyone should wish to attacks us in this horrendous way. Rather than asking "who did this to us? How can we destroy them?", we must think "What has the US done to generate so much hatred? What can we do to decrease this hatred in the future?" While the hatred continues to exist people will continue to try to harm us.

This nation has done many things in its history, from the transatlantic slave trade to the current embargo on Iran, which have given others ample opportunity to have a nurse a hatred for us. We have approached foreign relations with the attitude that we are the most powerful nation,  that we can defeat any enemy and that this gives us the right to enforce our will on others. While we certainly can enforce our will, this leads to ever deepening mistrust and hate.

Today we have seen that even the most powerful superpower in world cannot protect itself from a relatively small group of determined men.  I fear that we will respond their horrendous acts with awesome displays of power and that this will only confirm the hatred of many of those who already despise us. If this takes place the continuing and growing hatred of the United States will inevitably lead to increased and continued conflict in the future.  If we truely wish to bring peace and safety to our country we must temper our power with understanding and compassion.

I am not saying that the acts which took place today should go unanswered, but I believe that if we wish for the world to ever achieve peace and if we wish to be safe within our own borders we must not begin indiscriminate or excessive retaliation. That will just lead to greater hate and more terrorist attacks in the future.  

Peace is a powerful position to be in.

Ethan Strauss