Don’t ignore the war

As difficult as it is, it is important to watch the news and to view as many images as we can, to listen to the radio, to interviews, to people’s reactions here in this country and abroad. We are at war. We are dropping bombs on human beings. People are dying. It is important not to look away from what we are doing, regardless of what was done to us on September 11.

Watch and listen carefully to the children whose parents died in the Twin Towers tragedy. See the sadness in their eyes, their whole bodies. Then look at the images of innocent children in Afghan hospitals, small children put there by American bombs, their starved innocent bodies injured by human pride and arrogant nationalistic fervor for revenge. All the apologies in the world cannot make those images seem justified.

Go about your lives, do what you need to do, but do not live in denial about our responsibility in the death of innocent human lives in Afghanistan right now, this very moment. Do not simply say, “They did it to us, eye for an eye, it is a just war, a just response, the price that they must pay.” Who are “they”? Bin Laden, “terrorist” groups, the millions of Muslims who despise and hate us? Remember, the truth is, the “they” who did it to us are already dead.

Don’t turn away from the images of planes flying into the Twin Towers. Don’t turn away from the images of Americans’ bombs raining terror down on Afghanistan and all the innocent lives being affected and taken on both sides. As you go about your day, imagine you are a small child. It’s nighttime and American bombs are falling. The earth is shaking all around you. You are constantly terrified, and when you can sleep, your dreams are nightmares filled with frightening monsters with American faces.

Being conscious, staying awake during this horrible time is important. We must fully see, bring it into our being and feel the horror of these days, so that we can never let it happen again. Yes, it will disturb you, I hope. You may sleep less, and it may add more stress to your life, as it should, but when all is said and done the conclusions you come to will be closer to the truth because you were awake. You chose to be conscious, to dig deep in search of the real truth and face it and discover what it is to be a human being with morals, not just a patriot waving the American flag.