Punish the guilty; leave others in peace

Punish the guilty; leave others in peace

Sept. 25, 2001

'Smatter Of Fact
By Katharhyn Heidelberg

Why?

The question is not unexpected while on vacation, but I expected it in only the most trivial of contexts. On Sept. 11, the context changed, and like the rest of the world, I had to ask why thousands of people had been ruthlessly murdered in the blink of an eye. They were alive when I hiked up the hillfort of Pen Dinas, in Aberystwyth, Wales. By the time I reached the National Library of Wales later that day, they were dead.

"Terrorists Attack America," headline after headline screamed. Article after article and newscast after newscast, drove the point home. A friend waited to hear the fate of her son’s commander’s sister, who worked at the World Trade Center. A fellow taxi passenger described the nightmare of being unable to contact her daughter, who also worked in Manhattan.

Random people on the street expressed sympathy on hearing my accent. Churches all over Britain held prayer services, not only for the hundreds of Britons who perished in the attack, but for all victims, and specifically for the United States of America. A shrine, with a "perpetual candle," was erected at Canterbury Cathedral, and people stood in line there to sign a book of condolences.

The 3,000-mile distance between Britain and New York became as nothing.

The question of "why" didn’t go away — and probably never will. But I as watched the reports, and heard the world baying for blood, the answer became clear.

Cries for vengeance are exactly what the terrorists want. Terrorists thrive on anger. Division is their goal. Hatred is their bread and butter, and shock is what they live — and die — for. Dedication to a cause like this requires absolute faith and absolute belief in the propaganda being advanced by those in charge of the plot. The belief on Sept. 11 was that America was evil, that the victims were deserving and that those who died were less than human.

Any hasty act of retribution will reinforce this lie. Air strikes will surely kill many more innocent civilians than the horror the terrorists inflicted in New York and at the Pentagon. Those who planned the suicide missions know this.

Frankly, they’re praying for it. It will prove the point they would have others believe, that America is "the Great Satan." In turn, Americans’ own prejudice about the Middle East — already being shamefully advanced against some citizens in our own country — will be reinforced, and more hatred, more anger, more senseless death, will follow.

This is why we must not rush to judgment, no matter how tempting or satisfying it might be.

This is why we should let the masterminds of the attacks have their moment...for now.

It is true that we have the power to wipe Afghanistan off the map. If we do so, we might win a battle. However, if we were to quietly gather information, single out and deal with the individuals directly responsible, and those who aided and abetted their deeds, we would win the war. The alternative is becoming mass murderers ourselves, and making martyrs out of thugs. This is surely a poor tribute to the victims, who, no matter what we do, won’t be coming back.

Patriotism and sadness have not been misplaced. The desire for a response is not misplaced. But to make that response an all-out war, or an indiscriminate bombing campaign is wrong. To package such a response as defending "freedom," as President Bush repeatedly did in his Thursday night address, is an insult to anyone of average intelligence.

It is revenge. It should be called what it is. Hiding the truth behind patriotic (or religious) rhetoric is what terrorists do. America is better than that.