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http://www.spark-online.com
by robert marcom |
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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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