Dear Osama Bin Laden, Yasser Arafat, and Sadam Hussein, et. al.,
We are pleased to announce that we unequivocally accept your challenge to an old-fashioned game of whoop-azz. Now that we understand the rule that there are no rules, we look forward to playing by them for the first time.
Since this game is a winner-take-all, we unfortunately are unable to invite you to join us at the victory celebration. But rest assured that we will toast you --LITERALLY.
While we will admit that you are off to an impressive lead, it is however now our turn at the plate. By the way, we will be playing on your court now.
Batter up.
Sincerely,
The 270,000,000 citizens of the United States of America!
Every U down in Uville liked U.S. a lot,
But the Binch, who lived Far East of Uville, did not.
The Binch hated U.S! the whole U.S. way!
Now don't ask me why, for nobody can say,
It could be his turban was screwed on too tight.
Or the sun from the desert had beaten too bright
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
But, Whatever the reason, his heart or his turban,
He stood facing Uville, the part that was urban.
"They're doing their business," he snarled from his perch.
"They're raising their families! They're going to church!
They're leading the world, and their empire is thriving,
I MUST keep the S's and U's from surviving!"
Tomorrow, he knew, all the U's and the S's,
Would put on their pants and their shirts and their
dresses,
They'd go to their offices, playgrounds and schools,
And abide by their U and S values and rules,
And then they'd do something he liked least of all,
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Would stand all united, each U and each S,
And they'd sing Uville's anthem, "God bless us! God
bless!"
All around their Twin Towers of Uville, they'd stand,
and their voices would drown every sound in the land.
"I must stop that singing," Binch said with a smirk,
And he had an idea--an idea that might work!
The Binch stole some U airplanes in U morning hours,
And crashed them right into the Uville Twin Towers.
"They'll wake to disaster!" he snickered, so sour,
"And how can they sing when they can't find a tower?"
The Binch cocked his ear as they woke from their sleeping,
All set to enjoy their U-wailing and weeping,
Instead he heard something that started quite low,
And it built up quite slow, but it started to grow--
And the Binch heard the most unpredictable thing...
And he couldn't believe it--they started to sing!
He stared down at U-ville, not trusting his eyes,
What he saw was a shocking, disgusting surprise!
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any towers at all!
He HADN'T stopped U-Ville from singing! It sung!
For down deep in the hearts of the old and the young,
Those Twin Towers were standing, called Hope and called
Pride,
And you can't smash the towers we hold deep inside.
So we circle the sites where our heroes did fall,
With a hand in each hand of the tall and the small,
And we mourn for our losses while knowing we'll cope,
For we still have inside that U-Pride and U-Hope.
For America means a bit more than tall towers,
It means more than wealth or political powers,
It's more than our enemies ever could guess,
So may God bless America! Bless us! God bless!
AFGHAN WEATHER
The weather in Afghanistan tomorrow is expected to be sunny in the morning with increasing mushroom clouds in the afternoon. The temperature looks to be a moderate 2000 degrees with cool winds upwards of around 700 miles per hour. It will definitely be a day for the sunblock, and it wouldn't hurt to shake the dust off the ol' lead suit in the closet. If you're planning on venturing outside in beautiful Afghanistan tomorrow, don't forget to drink plenty of fluids such as barium which shows up nicely when blasts of radiation flow through your body. Most of all, have fun out there in dusty Afghanistan and enjoy the old country while........ well, while it's still there.
Terrorist Organization Profiles
Organization ......... National Affiliation
Source: US Dept. of State
I want President Bush to know that Americans like you are supporting him in prayer -
- so please sign our petition RIGHT NOW that tells America's leadership that you are praying for them as they move forward to combat terrorism!
http://aclj.donation-net.net/aclj/prayer.cfm?dn=1008&commid=10913281&id=719657
I couldn't believe my eyes when I drove to Washington D.C. the day after the terrorist attacks - I saw firsthand the tangled wreckage at the Pentagon, the human devastation. It was shattering to witness.
This attack was aimed at EACH OF US ... aimed at the tremendous freedoms God has entrusted to our nation ... aimed at our way of life ... aimed at our faith.
(It is no coincidence that this attack was aimed at the one nation on earth which sends out the most missionaries to proclaim the Gospel to Jesus Christ to other countries!)
The American Center got to work right away - we have put together a Washington team to assist the federal government in legal matters ranging from military and international law, to law enforcement within America.
Our senior lawyers are researching the War Powers Resolution adopted by Congress and the constitutional authority of Congress to declare war, for instance. Our International team is researching the appropriate laws and protocol under NATO.
At the same time, of course, all of our work - on religious freedoms and defense of the unborn - continue. We are accepting this additional War Powers challenge because it is the right thing to do. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING FREEDOM, and ENSURING THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL coming forth from the United States and into all the world.
We are praying for the victims' families, grieving along with them in this terrible and tragic loss. I also want the President and other leaders to know that we are praying for them in this critical hour.
That is why I encourage you to SIGN THE PETITION expressing your prayer support for the President and our government's leadership.
http://aclj.donation-net.net/aclj/prayer.cfm?dn=1008&commid=10913281&id=719657
This petition also urges them to USE THE FULL EXTENT of their constitutional authority and the powers of the U.S. military to pursue the murderers, bring them to justice, and put terrorists out of business.
Our staff here in Washington needs your encouragement as well. As you can imagine, they have been stunned by these events. They need to know that God's people are standing with them, firmly committed to the work in which we are engaged, for the cause of freedom!
So I urge you to SEND A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION, to enable all our work to go forward - and particularly to help us in the complicated fields of international and military law which have now become so urgently important.
http://aclj.donation-net.net/donation/e_trans.cfm?dn=1008&commid=10913281&id=719657
Again - please be sure to sign the petition to President Bush and our government's leadership and forward this email to your address book! This will let them know you are praying for them, and it will encourage them to defend our freedoms vigorously - fearlessly.
http://aclj.donation-net.net/aclj/prayer.cfm?dn=1008&commid=10913281&id=719657
No matter what happens, prayer must undergird our nation! Pray that God will embolden our President and our nation's other leaders to take every constitutional action possible in defense of our cherished freedoms!
In this dark hour, let's lean back on the strength of our God. Even as we pull out the stops and do all that is in our power to defend our nation, let's do so with a sense of inner peace that comes from trust in the Lord.
Thank you again for standing with us, for the sake of the land we love!
_________________________________________
As always, let us know of threats to Christian freedom in your area via
http://www.aclj.org . And tune into my daily radio program, "Jay Sekulow Live!".
To ASK JAY http://www.aclj.org/askjay.asp a question, or to REQUEST HELP
http://www.aclj.org/about/contact.asp , click on the respective link.
Broken links? Contact us! ACLJ Technical Problems acljmail@exis.net . Please include NAME, PHONE NUMBER and a description of the technical problem you are having with form. Please do not use this for general correspondence as it goes to a technical support area.
Last Tuesday's tragedy has affected me on many different levels of emotion and I am really thankful that no one that I knew and/or loved was involved. It is also nice to know that America is not alone in our tragedy and that so many other nations morn with us. Please take a minute to look at this website and see what other countries and nationalities are doing to support America. http://thankyou.fast-networks.net/
On a personal note:
I hope that everyone is doing his/her best to show support for New York and
our Nation. Whether it is donating blood or money, volunteering time, saying
a little prayer, carrying a flag or wearing a pin it is important that we all stay in
eachothers hearts, thoughts and prayers. I am going to donate my payroll
from Bath and Body Works for the next 4 weeks to a fund set up by the
Limited Corporation. I know that it is not much but I feel that is my duty to
do whatever I can to help those in greater need than I.
Take care!
Love,
Annabelle
As for everyone, it is impossible for us here at InternetSeer to express the depth of our sorrow about the tragic events of September 11th. Among those missing at the World Trade Center is the brother of one of our co-workers, one of hundreds missing from the company he worked at, Cantor Fitzgerald, LLC.
In memory of all those who perished on September 11, InternetSeer, together with two of our business service partners, is pledging 10% of sales revenues for the next thirty days to aid those affected by the attacks.
These contributions will be made to the Red Cross aid efforts as well as to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.
This fund was set up last week to provide both emergency short-term financial aid and ongoing assistance for such things as childcare, college tuition, mental health support and long-term health care to the families of the World Trade Center victims.
The Internet Business Services partners who have teamed up with InternetSeer in this donation program are:
EnterURL Search Engine Submission Service
AtWatch Advanced Web Site Monitoring
Cordially,
Michael Dever,
InternetSeer CEO
Published Tuesday, September 18, 2001
As I was rushing off to school on Tuesday morning, the main thing on my mind was whether my gym teacher would forgive me for not having bought my gym shorts. Three hours later, the main question on my mind was: Am I going to die?
I am a freshman at Stuyvesant High School, a few blocks from the World Trade Center. When this horrible catastrophe began, I was sitting in English class discussing the strategy of narration in a poem. Suddenly the loud speaker came on, and an assistant principal explained that at 8:45 a.m., a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings. At first, there was silence, then our teacher said: ``Wow, how do you follow up to that?'' My class laughed.
The next period I had was a ``free'' period, so I went to the cafeteria. Some kids were watching the news, and I joined them.
The lights in the building flickered, the TV turned off, and we heard a loud explosion. We saw hundreds of people running away from my school.
I heard a second extremely loud crash . . . the scene was unimaginable. The World Trade Center building had collapsed into itself, shooting a large black cloud of smoke into the sky. I watched while bodies fell from the windows, as the building came down in a giant plume of smoke.
I was too much in shock to do anything. My friend Abby began to hyperventilate at the words terrorist attack. Some classmates were crying and others comforting those in need.
Then someone yelled to look out the front window -- and a sight met my eyes that put the first thought in my mind that I might die. Smoke was slowly moving down the street toward us as people ran screaming away from it. Everyone in the school started yelling.
The loud speaker instructed us to leave the school in an orderly fashion and walk away from the smoke. But soon a policeman started yelling for us to go back into the school. A huge cloud of dark black smoke had begun billowing over the side of the school.
We started to jog back to the school, but almost as soon as we began, the policeman began yelling for us to come back fast. Another giant cloud of smoke was pouring north around the other side of the building. It was the smoke from the World Trade Center, and we all started to run.
When I turned, I saw a very disturbing sight: smoke rising into the air, totally enveloping the 10 stories of the school building. As we walked away from the school, I saw many people standing along the sidewalk watching the smoke make its way across the streets with confused looks in their eyes. I saw one Japanese businessman covered from head to toe in white dirt and soot with only the lenses of his glasses clear. He was staring blankly stunned, as if nothing that had just happened was real. I saw many more people like him as I walked on with the rest of the kids from Stuyvesant. Out to the west, the Hudson River, which we were walking along, was covered with ash and pieces of wood and debris.
I walked home, about six miles from the school, and logged onto AOL to inquire about family and friends. The saddest story was about a classmate whose father had worked in one of the buildings. When she got home, she heard a voicemail message that he had left right before the building collapsed. Her father was saying goodbye because he knew he was going to die.
These have been the most terrible days in my life. I feel sad for the people who have died in this horrific terrorist attack and also for the victims' families.
I am only 13 years old, and yet I have witnessed one of the most tragic events in American history. I hope never to see anything this chilling again in my life. But I fear that I will.
It is amazing out seconds can change our life forever.
On Monday . . .
On Monday there were people fighting against praying
in schools
On Tuesday you would have been hard pressed to
find a school where someone was not praying
On Monday there were people were trying to separate
each other by race, sex, color and creed
On Tuesday they were all holding hands
On Monday we thought that we were secure
On Tuesday we learned better
On Monday we were talking about heroes as being
athletes
On Tuesday we relearned what hero meant
On Monday people went to work at the world trade
centers as usual
On Tuesday they died
On Monday people were fighting the 10 commandments
on government property
On Tuesday the same people said 'God help us all'
while thinking, 'Thou shall not kill'
On Monday people argued with their kids about
picking up their room
On Tuesday the same people could not get home
fast enough to hug their kids
On Monday people picked up McDonalds for dinner
On Tuesday they stayed home
On Monday people were upset that their dry cleaning
was not ready on time
On Tuesday they were lining up to give blood
for the dying
On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses
On Tuesday grief stricken they sang
'God Bless America'
On Monday we worried about the traffic and getting
to work late
On Tuesday we worried about a plane crashing
into your house or place of business
On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks
had not arrived
On Tuesday we saw people celebrating people
dying in the USA
On Monday some children had solid families
On Tuesday they were orphans
On Monday the president was going to Florida to
read to children
On Tuesday he returned to Washington to
protect our children
On Monday we e-mailed jokes
On Tuesday we did not
It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this week, the things we have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or overlooked, hopefully will never be forgotten again.
If I could catch a rainbow
I would do just for you
And share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue
If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own
A place to find serenity
A place to be alone
If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea
But all those things
I'm finding are impossible for me
I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair
But let me be what I know best
A friend thats always there
This Is A Hug Certificate!! Send One To All Your Friends You Think Deserve A Hug.
The calamity that turned the nation toward military confrontation is also revealing the character of its people, both collectively and individually. From the overwhelming majority, not only in America's greatest city but everywhere, we have seen evidence of altruism, nobility and tolerance. These qualities encourage hope that we will also summon the patience and judgment necessary to prevail against an elusive enemy.
From a few notable individuals, however, we have seen opportunism, incitement and ugliness, sometimes blatant and even violent in tone, sometimes more subtle. While the examples may seem marginal, they represent themes that are potentially divisive and damaging.
The most notorious offenders of decency in the aftermath of the assault on America were religious-right leaders Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Ordinarily somewhat hostile and competitive toward each other, this pious pair found quick agreement about the underlying cause of the attacks on New York and Washington: God had withdrawn divine protection from the United States in retribution for the freedom afforded to homosexuals, civil libertarians and feminists, and thus had permitted "the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."
Said Mr. Robertson, "Jerry, that's my feeling."
Just so nobody could misunderstand his meaning, Mr. Falwell berated "the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the [American Civil Liberties Union], People for the American Way ?. I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"
Informed that their remarks had repelled even the most conservative figures in the White House, they reverted to damage control. Mr. Falwell falsely claimed that he had been quoted "out of context." Then he apologized, rather feebly, but did not withdraw those statements, which he described as too theologically subtle for comprehension by secular Americans.
Mr. Robertson suddenly pretended to be among those who didn't comprehend Mr. Falwell's meaning. He joined in the chorus of condemnation, saying he had "not fully understood" his guest's "severe and harsh" comments.
It is worth pointing out here that the Mayor of New York, whose leadership has been so admirable, currently lives as the roommate of a gay couple-and that one of the heroic passengers who resisted the hijackers on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was a gay rugby player named Mark Bingham.
Messrs. Falwell and Robertson were not the only "conservatives" who vented hostile emotion last week. Under the banner of National Review magazine, commentator Ann Coulter called on Sept. 13 for the U.S. to "invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." Which countries she did not specify, but her essay reflected the widespread rightist desire for an instantaneous and indiscriminate response, up to and including the use of tactical nuclear weapons. Such demented rhetoric undermines America and our allies as they seek diplomatic and military support for a difficult, delicate and potentially very costly campaign.
While some personalities on the right have indulged in ideological scapegoating, certain figures on the left have behaved similarly, if not as grossly. Although they ritualistically denounce the hideous crime perpetrated on Sept. 11, they simultaneously seize this chance to promote their own project of undermining U.S. support for Israel.
Their contribution to the current debate is to suggest, as professors Noam Chomsky and Edward Said and writer Christopher Hitchens have done in recent days, that the attacks must be "understood" as the reaction of the world's dispossessed to the depredations of an imperial America and its Zionist client state. More broadly, these same commentators and others insist that the savagery of the bin Laden group and its comrades is rooted in the poverty and misery that arise from globalization.
For thoughtful Americans concerned about the past excesses of our own government and of Israel, these are seductive arguments. They are also mistaken, at best, and sinister at worst.
As a general proposition, it is true that terrorist groups have exploited real grievances over the years, from the Irish Republican Army and the early Zionist movement to the Palestine Liberation Organization. But in the conflict that we are about to enter, the enemy is not an oppressed nationalist group with negotiable goals. It is instead a reactionary international movement with aspirations to destroy Western democracy. Its ideology is medieval, opposed to progress in every sense. Its policy is the brutal repression of women, labor, peasants and any dissenting social force. Its model is its own version of "the Caliphate," meaning an imperial perversion of Islam that puts infidels to the sword. Its bloodlust would not be satisfied by a just settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.
That barbarism is what needs to be understood-and resisted with force.
(This column ran on page 5 in the 9/24/2001 edition of The New York
Observer.)
COPYRIGHT © 2001
THE NEW YORK OBSERVER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern for me and my family. We are alive and well. For those of you who don't know, we live and work from our home next to the World Financial Center complex, across from the now non-existent World Trade Center complex.
Laurent and I evacuated shortly after the second plane attack to look for our children at their elementary school down the street. That was the last time we have seen our home, and this is the first time I have had access to a computer.
After we evacuated our children from school and felt a safe distance from fear, we sat down to rest and talk. Our 10 year old daughter drew a picture of a plane crashing into the twin towers and wrote the following poem:
A lot of people died.
A lot of people got hurt.
But the sun will rise tomorrow.
A lot of people lost their jobs.
A lot of people lost their pets.
But the sun will rise tomorrow.
Thank you again to everyone who had us in their thoughts (and those who would have if they had known). Your concern is deeply appreciated.
Joe, Laurent, Emma, and Camille