Miss Becky's Blog

America Heals . . . After September 11, 2001

Written by Miss Becky a few weeks following the attack on September 11, 2001

AMERICA HEALS . . .

Americans are coming together to help each other heal from the effects of the terrorist attack -- it will take lots of time, but there are some great supportive things happening. You might be interested to know that our son, Brady, who is in New York city volunteered along with several other missionaries the next day at the Red Cross in New York. They were working on the phone bank, taking calls and calling people to come and work at the different relief centers that the Red Cross had set up. The next day on Thursday Brady, who has great computer skills, spent 15 hours there at the Red Cross setting up a database on the computer for them to use in scheduling people to come and work, as some people were getting different calls and being scheduled to work two or three 12 hours shifts at one time. He spend Friday morning finishing up the computer work there. He also said that "the city is much different now than it was before . . Friday night, people were lighting candles EVERYWHERE! The sidewalks were lined with candles, and people were walking around carrying candles. People are definitely turning to God right now!"

Americans all over the country are giving money and blood to help -- in fact we have enough blood, and they have asked us to stop giving. It was neat to learn of two young girls (12 and 13 years old) in our area who wanted to help because they felt so bad for the people in New York and Washington D.C. The girls and some of their friends stood across the street from their Logan homes collecting money through a raffle for a teddy bear and by selling treats to people passing by. By 6 pm they had collected $330.

There have been many memorial events all across the country. At sporting and performing events they have started with some very patriotic music and thoughts of what has happened. One of the most popular songs sung now is "God Bless America".

We have received reports that most of the Chinese people support the USA in bring to justice the people responsible for this terrible thing. I certainly want that, but I hope and pray that more innocent people will not be hurt or killed. The situation in Afghanistan is soooo bad for the people there right now -- the Taliban government does not seem to care about the people at all. It has been reported that they have taken all the food from the people and thousands of the people are leaving the country. I certainly hope that we can help these people. Our daughter sent us a very interesting idea for fighting this war that I want to share with you .... it's a different way of thinking:

"A military response, particularly an attack on Afghanistan, is exactly what the terrorists want. It will strengthen and swell their small but fanatical ranks.

"Instead, bomb Afghanistan with butter, with rice, bread, clothing and medicine. It will cost less than conventional arms, poses no threat of US casualties and just might get the populace thinking that maybe the Taliban don't have the answers. After three years of drought and with starvation looming, let's offer the Afghani people the vision of a new future. One that includes full stomachs. Bomb them with information. Video players and cassettes of world leaders, particularly Islamic leaders, condemning terrorism. Carpet the country with magazines and newspapers showing the horror of terrorism committed by their "guest". Blitz them with laptop computers and DVD players filled with a perspective that is denied them by their government. Saturation bombing with hope will mean that some of it gets through. Send so much that the Taliban can't collect and hide it all.

"The Taliban are telling their people to prepare for Jihad. Instead, let's give the Afghani people their first good meal in years. Seeing your family fully fed and the prospect of stability in terms of food and a future is a powerful deterrent to martyrdom. All we ask in return is that they, as a people, agree to enter the civilized world. That includes handing over terrorists in their midst.

"In responding to terrorism we need to do something different. Something unexpected...something that addresses the root of the problem. We need to take away the well of despair, ignorance and brutality from which the Osama bin Laden's of the world water their gardens of terror. It is important that we learn to think in NEW ways. If we continue attacking in the old ways we will get the same old results. Look at what has been happening in the middle east for thousands of years to see what we can expect if we attack with bombs and military force. Do we want to live a life of fear as people in the middle east do?"

What do you think of this idea???

It really got me to thinking and remembering that the best way we can destroy an enemy is to love them and make them your friends. I hope and pray that our leaders will explore every possible solution, including this one to find some new and hopefully more effective ways to deal with this problem, rather than using violence.