Dear all

by Lori Ann Burd

This is the first chain e-mail that I have ever sent and I am sorry that I can't connect with each one of you individually. I have some thoughts on what happened this morning that I really need to share, so please bear with me.

What happened this morning was a tragedy that I cannot begin to comprehend. The huge loss of life and limb is beyond my imagination, beyond my nightmares, beyond all reason. My condolences go out to all those who are suffering the loss of family or friends.

I think this tragedy is also an amazing opportunity to do some reflection; on ourselves as individuals, and on ourselves as Americans. We need to stop and ponder why this happened. Why would a human being plan and commit these acts. After all aren't we all the children of mothers, aren't we all human beings with basic ideas of rights and wrong? Don't we all just want to live our lives in peace and prosperity? I do not think the people who wrecked havoc on the east coast this morning are that different from us, we all live under the same sky and have the same basic needs. But these are people who are fed up with America and what it stands for. We have been told that we are individuals with certain rights as Americans. Those rights have come to mean that we should have unlimited access to whatever we want materially and politically. We have gone into other countries time and time and again, destroying the lives of

so many, either by funding fascist military regimes or creating so called economic reforms. We have denied access to basic medical supplies and clothing to countries who refuse to accept our

politics. We still have military bases in places most people have never heard of, occupying and

destroying remote corners of the world. We have torn down ancient and pristine forests, cut holes in mountains for minerals, dug in sacred spaces for oil. We have put millions of people to work in sweat shops so we can have more cheap stuff.

No, I don't think that any of us want these travesties to go on, but as Americans, our taxes perpetuate this insanity. in our quest for more (more power and more stuff) we have done a lot of damage and caused so much suffering and death.

But these things are not as exciting as buildings being blown up. The sensationalist corporate

media knows they will not get anywhere with that, so they only report on what people like to hear and the big scary explosions, not the daily pain.

What happened today is a tragedy, but we are living in a time when so much tragedy goes ignored by Americans. It is time for us to wake up to the consequences of our "progress". It is time for us to start caring about something other than being comfortable. We need to end the cycles of violence within ourselves and the rest of the world. It we are to speak of progress, let it be for all people, not just wealthy amerikkkans. we can do this by being conscious consumers, not buying things that were made in sweat shops, getting eco-friendly products. We can vote for sane policies. We can protest and write letters. We can be creative and not accept everything we are told.

We can try to learn to empathize with people very different from ourselves, and maybe then we will learn that they are not so different. Perhaps if we did that, then people would not be so enraged at our nation, and we can prevent future tragedy.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I love you all very much and send my blessings and prayers,

Lori Ann Burd. US Student.

loriannburd@yahoo.com

September 11 th .