For once, turn away from a violent response (Mega Barf Alert!)

RALEIGH -- As I write these words I have no idea if my brother Timothy, a New York City cop who works in Lower Manhattan, is dead or alive. I was sickened as a I watched the World Trade Center spires collapse on live television. A native New Yorker, I have visited the center many times and have gazed in wonder at its magnificence.

Now a terrorist attack has reduced it to rubble, perhaps killing thousands in the process. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 will surely be remembered as among the most horrifying in world history. Many of us will have lost friends and loved ones. It will take days for the bodies to be dug out. Our newscasts will be dominated for weeks with follow-up stories and footage from funerals.

Like a major war, this act of once-unthinkable violence will touch the lives of millions of citizens. Not since our own Civil War have Americans really experienced the horror of war on our own soil. On Sept. 11 those living in New York City found themselves in a war zone.

Sadly, we are now experiencing what people in many parts of the world know so well. In places like Iraq and Yugoslavia, people know what it's like to live in terror of bombs falling from the sky, of loved ones lost to violence. The question now before our leaders is how does the world's only superpower respond to an act of violence of this magnitude?

Sadly, the message I am hearing from officials is the tough talk of retaliation rather than reconciliation and prevention.

As I watched the television news accounts, and saw the human toll from the attacks, I was struck by the absurdity of comments such as "Full retaliation will be in the cards."

Retaliation against whom? And in what form? The terrorists most immediately involved are all dead. Who would we target? Would we use nuclear weapons? How much more is our government willing to ratchet up the violence that has brought us to this terrible impasse?

How our leaders respond may determine the fate of humanity. We are at a turning point. We can choose to continue the violence or take a new course.

On Tuesday at noon I took three of my children and headed for Sacred Heart Cathedral to join about 300 other Catholic Christians to attend Mass and pray for peace. I realize that our only hope as a human family is to follow in the footsteps of the God of Peace -- regardless of what others may say or do.

The Cathedral rector, the Very Rev. Girard Sherba, spoke for us all when he said "Our hearts have been torn apart by the senseless killing of innocent lives." He reminded Mass-goers that this would be a time of testing for Christians -- "Maybe the test of our entire lives."

Rather than seek retaliation, Sherba told us to "be people of forgiveness; be people of compassion; be people of love ...words we don't want to hear right now."

What Tuesday's attacks proved is that terrorists don't need sophisticated weapons to commit horrific acts of violence. All the talk of protective shields and safeguards against terrorism mean nothing in an era where the tools of the terrorist can be as innocent as an airliner boarding pass.

And it could have been far worse. What if the terrorists had decided to fly those jets into nuclear power plants? Tuesday's events could be just the tip of the iceberg of what might be in store for us in the future if we don't begin a transformation of the world.

Suffice it to say that the United States is the most hated nation in the world. I'm not sure of all the reasons why we are so loathed, but I want to know why. Terrorists don't commit suicide attacks that maim and kill thousands of people for no reason. We need to understand the roots of this hatred and do all we can to address this deep anger.

Seeking peace and reconciliation with our enemies is at the very heart of the message of Jesus, who told us clearly -- "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword."

I urge President Bush and our nation's leaders to forget retaliation and instead begin a process that can lead this world to eliminate violence as a means of conflict resolution. Think of the message that would send to the world -- the most powerful nation forgoes retaliation and violence and instead begins a heartfelt search for justice and peace.

During mass, Father Sherba reminded us of our duty as Christians: "If we dare call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, we have to dare to follow in his footsteps. ...Now is not the time to hate; not the time to fear; not the time for animosity. Now is the time for prayer."

P.M. O'Neill is the co-founder of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House, a pacifist community in Garner that provides hospitality for women and children in crisis.

I'm so infuriated reading this that I can't even comment.

I only hope this type of thinking and head in the sand reasoning is the exception to the rule today and in the weeks and months to come.

MKM

P.M. O'Neill is the co-founder of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House, a pacifist community in Garner that provides hospitality for women and children in crisis.

This should've been the first sentence in the article. Would've prevented me from reading the rest of this crap.

reconciliation and prevention

First order of the day: Deport all Arab Nationals (There's your prevention)

Let the reconciliation begin with God. Let's hasten them on their way.

There is a feedback section where you can leave comments. Here's mine:

You sicken me. I am ashamed that I have to share a country with such a panty-waist as you. 10,000 of our countrymen are dead today because of a cowardly terrorist attack, and you want forgiveness and understanding. The next time you go to church, ask God why he neglected to give you a spine.

It won't do any good, but it sure made me feel better.

I think this lady is right. The quantity of mercy is not sprained. We should kill the guilty quickly and not make them suffer in anticipation for months on end. We should definitely use real big weapons and do it ASAP. Death by B-52 is so much more humane than throwing rocks or using box cutters. Chain guns and A-10 kill swiftly and will eliminate unnecessary suffering by terrorists. Amen and shantih.

This guy is a moron. If he's really a Catholic...well, as a thinking human being he ought to know reconciliation can't be one-sided.

He's just so overwhelmed by what's happened that he can't comprehend there's not a "reason" behind. That there isn't something we can do to make it up to the terrorist interests we somehow have offended.

Sec. Powell made a powerful point this morning. Whoever is behind this is *not* religious (fundamentalist or otherwise), they're murders.

I am seeing POST AFTER POST on the usenet and on liberal boards spewing not only this but trying to give evidence of why America DESERVED the bombing. People who have 1st grade education trying to remind us of history. Apparently Japan was defenseless and had no army left in 1945 and America is a war criminal for WWII, Vietname, and the Gulf War.

.....I'm too pissed off to post the rest of my thoughts...or it'll get yanked.

United States is the most hated nation in the world. I'm not sure of all the reasons why we are so loathed, but I want to know why.

This is sadder than the pitiful article she has written. She proclaims to be a faithful Christian several times but apparently has forgotten to read the Bible, especially the Old Testament where the sons of Hagar have warred against the sons of Sarah for quite some time

Genesis 17
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."

That's why, you nice lady!! Of course, I'm sure you've probably can offer what you think is a fix all for this too. What? A peace treaty? So many of those have been signed between nations in the Middle East it's not even funny. What's even worse is the Raleigh Disturber printed this mess. I am all for forgiveness, don't get me wrong. But there does need to be some sort of retribution for this heinous crime otherwise the next time, God I pray there is not, it would be a lot worse

I couldn't agree more. No need for hate. No need for fear. No need for animosity. A definite need for prayer.

But hear this, there is also no need to sit about quaking in our hair shirts, running out of cheeks to turn. We must quietly, calmly, and with unswerving dedication wipe the scourge that perpetrates these horrors from the face of our planet. They are vermin and must be dealt with accordingly. There must be no chance of this ever happening again. The only way to accomplish that goal is to eradicate the purveyors of these hateful attrocities and to place such fear and awe in the minds of those we cannot reach that they would sooner meet their God as cowards than face our wrath again.

How our leaders respond may determine the fate of humanity. We are at a turning point. We can choose to continue the violence or take a new course.

I say, time to escalate the violence. Wipe out the vermin who perpertrated and facilitated this crime, and deter others who might follow this path. Do it completely and resolutely, and do it in a timely fashion.

...follow in the footsteps of the God of Peace -- regardless of what others may say or do....

What OTHERS may say? How about the WORDS of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

Matthew 10:34
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword</font color=black>.

During mass, Father Sherba reminded us of our duty as Christians: "If we dare call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, we have to dare to follow in his footsteps.

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." -- Matthew 10:34

I got this this am:

Did Nostradamus predict this?

In the year of the new century and nine months
From the sky will come a great King of Terror
The sky will burn at 45 degrees (NY is on the 45th parallel)
Fire approaches the great new city in the City of God there will be great thunder
Two brothers (the towers) torn apart by Chaos
While the fortress (the pentagon) endures
The great leader will succumb
The third big war will begin when the city is is burning"

~Nostradamus (1654)

I'm not that familiar with Nostradamus' prophecies and am unable to access any of the web sites that would source this. Apparently there is a lot of traffic at these sites.

I just found this VERY interesting.

MKM

and deter others who might follow this path.

Deterrence can only come when others who might commit a similar act understand this:

Committing suicide (and murdering others in the process) in the name of a cause, will result in the total destruction of that cause.

The only thing that DISGUSTS me more than this attack is to listen to "Americans" who would have us all turn into cowards, bootlickers, and SLAVES. There is a time for peace and a time for war. THIS is a time for war, and I mean REAL war not a few missles launched in the general direction of some lone lunatic which is being given aid and comfort by a civic authority. It's high time to go A-Viking and make Afganistan the newest member of the Union.

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