ugh.

The past several days I haven't wanted to write because I don't want to echo the same thing you've probably heard a billion other places - shock at the September 11th terrorism. Like everyone, that's been the big thing on my mind. I've ended up trying to explain some of the possible reasons for this attack to people who are asking 'why?' and apparently people are thinking I'm defending this act and saying we 'deserved' the attack, when that's not what I meant at all. I thought they actually wanted to know why. I've ended up arguing vociferously with people who are angry and want revenge. I can't seem to explain to them that a)one bad act does not deserve another bad act, and b)this will create a numbers game which we just can't play. (Kill someone, even inadvertently while trying to get at the people responsible, and you give the militants a dozen of their family members as converts who will be willing to die to take us out. We don't have the population to sustain that for any length of time.)

I'm so sad and frustrated. I don't want to see innocent Arab-Americans harassed in the street. (I'm worried as hell about some of my friends who are or who _look_as_if_they_might_be_ Arabic.) I don't want to see innocent Afghanis bombed. I don't want the U.S. to become the sort of place where people randomly don't come home from trips to the grocery store because of car bombs. I don't want to see a war which could spell the end of all of us.

I guess I had to say that and get it out of the way before I can move on. I'm going to keep doing what I can to speak up for peace. I should probably write letters to the White House or something.