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By the time you read this letter, you will certainly know
that the World Trade Center has been destroyed by hijacked
aircraft that were crashed into both towers. In addition,
an airliner was hijacked, then crashed into the Pentagon and
another airliner was hijacked and subsequently crashed in
a field in central Pennsylvania.
Threat of terror is not really new to my family. We lived with
such terror in Israel during the first Entifada. While the scale
of terror of the 9-11 attack is unprecedented, we have lived
with a personal fear that the bus next to us in traffic might
blow up (many buses in Israel have been bombed) or that the
fellow lingering on the corner might be a suicide bomber. We
have had five-pound rocks thrown through the windshield of our
rented car, and when we got out to shake the glass out of our
clothes, were greeted with the words "God is great..." delivered
with a heavy Arabic accent.
Now, it has come to America. But these enemies of Western culture
have repeated a terrible mistake. They join a long list of those
who underestimate Western strengths like focus, purpose, determination
and creative response.
Japanese Emperor Hirohito learned this lesson when he attacked
"The Arsenal of Democracy" during World War Two. Defeated, Hitler
surrendered because he could not survive both the Soviet Army
and the armies of the West. Most recently, Saddam Hussein was
introduced to the West's resolute response to aggression. When
Western Democracies are made to fear, we adapt quickly.
We will learn to deal with it as have the Jewish Israelis. I
only hope our tragedy will be a galvanizing force in the world
to deliver justice to terrorists and a rallying point for all
who reject the tactic of political change through violence and
intimidation.
I wish us all peace.
Copyright © 2001 Robert Marcom. All
Rights Reserved.
Robert Marcom is Texas based writer.
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