Letters to the Editors

Letter writers respond to terrorist attacks on America

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 12, 2001

We're all shocked by the cowardly, inhumane, godless terrorist attacks made on the United States on Tuesday. Some of us, while also shocked, were not surprised. Indeed, we wonder why the attack took so long to happen, because we are, arguably, more vulnerable to such attacks than any other nation on earth. Unless we are willing and ready to suffer further, similar -- possibly even worse -- attacks, we must make a terribly difficult decision, and to do so with utmost, although deliberate, haste.

We have only two rational choices:

1. Give in to whatever demands terrorists, of any ilk, may make, directly or otherwise, and then prepare for further demands -- perhaps continuing until our very nation is destroyed economically.

2. Serve notice to all nations and peoples supporting terrorists in any way, that we will lay waste to their lands as long as terrorism continues. Nothing will be spared: not cattle, crops, women, children, mosques, water supplies, energy sources, communications, transportation, nor hospitals. We fight forest fires by setting fires; we must fight terrorism with terror -- with fear of retribution so sure and terrible that such is clearly much too high a price to pay for any perceived cause or objective, even as seen by emotionally unbalanced fanatics.

We can only hope and pray that our president has the counsel and courage needed to help us in carrying out the second option. I believe that he does. Let us hope that I am right, because it's the only way to prevent a repetition of what I have chosen to call "Terrorist Tuesday," a day that seems destined to become even more infamous than was the similarly cowardly attack, by Japan, on Pearl Harbor.
-- John G. Nash, Homosassa

A call for war

In a more innocent age, almost 60 years ago, we had not one scintilla of regret at firebombing Tokyo and Dresden, killing more people than the atomic bombs did. Not one moment of remorse, no sadness whatsoever over the carnage. None.

The mind-set of the leaders of those people was so narrow that punishing those who supported them was no problem whatsoever.

I feel that in our response to Tuesday's attack a good many otherwise innocent Arabs, my cousins under Abraham, will die. This time I feel regret, because we could have stopped them earlier, could have kept the wild ones in prison.

I also feel that it's about time. Those who support the warped, distorted and twisted extremes of what they call Islam should know the result of that support. So-called "moderate" governments gave millions to the terrorists, and then put on their sad suit when the terrorists struck.

Do I care if Tehran or Baghdad is leveled? Hell no. Sadly, neither do the people who started this -- they are assured of a place in heaven for causing deaths of infidels.

"Cry, "Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war." Now.
-- Max R. Loick, St. Petersburg

Don't be careless with judgment

I am heavily distraught and deeply enraged by the events on Tuesday. To have such a dubious attack come on the United States is justification for war. I need to remind all residents of our area and the United States not to criticize or judge any people from certain religious groups or of certain ethnic backgrounds. It's being assumed that the culprits were fanatic Islamic militants who worked for Osama bin Laden.

We in America and here in the Tampa Bay area host many Arab and Islamic residents. What I am asking for is not to judge your neighbor as part of the guilty party as many may feel is necessary. An Arab or Islamic person passing you on the street was not involved in this attack, and should not be pelted with hate or violence because of the need to release anger and outrage.

We'll get the parties that are guilty for this. United we stand and after the months of political chaos in the United States, it is now clearly evident that we need to push that aside and focus as one nation on seeking out justice and punishing the guilty of this murderous, unspeakable act.
-- John Fontana, Palm Harbor

Make the world safe again

This was not an act of terrorism. It was an unmitigated, cowardly act of war similar to Pearl Harbor.

It is the duty of the United States to mobilize all the forces necessary to hunt down the perpetrators, "blow them out of the seas" and bring them to their knees just as we did in World War II.

The "good guy" image of turning the other cheek has just made us a target for every out-of-control would-be dictator. These no-win wars of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Bosnia, etc., have only taught those warmongers that they can get away with whatever they want and we will do no more than shake our finger at them. It is up to the good guys to make the world safe again. It should not be relegated to the United Nations. Our military should be responsible only to the United States.
-- T. Ammerman, Seminole

Decisive action is required

Seeing on television these dastardly acts of terrorism at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, fills me with horror, empathy, incredulity, sympathy and controlled rage. If it where my decision to make, our country's response would be immediate, once it is established exactly what individuals, organizations or rogue nations are responsible.

Quite succinctly, I would unleash preemptive air strikes and rapid-response offensives by our armed forces at or upon these terrorist centers, wherever they are located!
-- Joseph P. Corell, Safety Harbor

Target terrorism

The tragic events of Tuesday cannot be tolerated by anyone in the free world! It is time to quit sitting on our hands and declare all-out war on terrorism. This includes countries that harbor terrorists. No one is safe from the effects of these extremists and we must, once and for all, eradicate them and their supporters.

I include the Palestinians on the West Bank who are celebrating the murder of thousands of innocent civilians. We must all support quick, unrestricted retaliation against all terrorists.
-- Dick Barstow, Tarpon Springs

It's a different story now

Re: Attack on America.

After months of enduring the St. Petersburg Times' shamefully biased pro-Palestinian reporting on the crisis in Israel, I now wonder how sympathetic your editors feel toward the Palestinians after watching them on television news jeering and celebrating the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans who lost their lives Tuesday in the heinous attack on our country. It's a different story when terrorists are murdering your own people, is it not? May we all pray for shalom, peace, at this terrible time
-- Shoshana Kroll, St. Petersburg

A key question

Of all the questions the main one is: "What on earth is the United States doing to make people hate us this much?" They are not killing themselves for fun.
-- John Low, St. Petersburg

The work of cowards

The attacks Tuesday on the United States are the product of cowards. The person or persons behind the attacks will face the wrath of the United States and our allies. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the people lost Tuesday and to the members of our armed services who bear the burden of protecting the citizens of this great country.
-- Anthony Malafronte, New Port Richey

Beware of foreign meddling

The loss of life, property and prestige in Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (and the probable loss in the ensuing days and weeks of more of our precious freedoms) is the unfortunately bitter harvest of 80-plus years of diddling with other peoples' governments, arming this faction or that, funding this group but not that group, and the occasional murder of individuals and groups. For too long we have operated as if "might makes right when it's our might."

Those who planned and executed Tuesday's attacks have taught us a necessary and valuable lesson: No target, not even the Pentagon, can ever be "hardened enough." No precautions, no matter how thorough, can ever be "thorough enough."

The only way to prevent such attacks is to not draw them in the first place. That, however, is not our (foreign) policy.
-- Frank Clarke, Oldsmar

An inattentive, lax government

As I watch the news of the horrible terrorist attacks on the United States that happened Tuesday, I become outraged -- not only at the unidentified groups that perpetrated this act, but at our own government for its passivism, inaction and outright lack of attention to the potential destruction that terrorism can bring.

About two months ago, I wrote a letter to our area's congressman, C.W Bill Young, noting that the focus and funding for a "missile shield" for the United States seem terribly misplaced, and asking that the resources of our government be refocused on the prevention of terrorism. Congressman Young's response, probably written by an aide, emphasized his support of missile defense and totally ignored my concern about terrorism. I wonder what kind of response I would get from Young to that same letter if he received it today.

It should be patently obvious that a huge organizational effort by the terrorists, intricately coordinated and masterfully executed, was only possible as the result of significant espionage activity inside the United States as well as in foreign countries. When you envision the scope of communications needed to carry out these acts, you begin to wonder what our government was doing and why no suspicious patterns were found. Where were the FBI and the CIA? How did they not obtain better and more current information on these criminals?

Frankly, I am saddened and disappointed that our government's misbegotten immigration policy and gross lack of attention have led to these results, and I join in the sympathy for the families of victims and the mourning for lives unnecessarily lost.
-- G.W. Cantrell, St. Pete Beach

Doing something to help

With such horrific news unfolding it was rather difficult to get any work done in the office. I really wanted to do something that "mattered." So I thought I'd take an hour off and give blood. At 1:30 Tuesday afternoon I went to the Florida Blood Services on Ninth Street N in St. Petersburg to donate blood. When I arrived I found a parking lot full, with many cars and trucks on parked on the grass. The owners of all those vehicles were apparently inside waiting to donate also.

I have never seen such a crowd there before! Usually the parking lot is pretty empty when I go. I decided to return a little later. But how encouraged I was to know, that during this crisis, many people right here in St. Petersburg care enough to do something that will help. And they are doing it right now!
-- April D. Hill, St. Petersburg

A call for prayer

After the events of Tuesday, the lives of all Americans have been forever changed.

May God bless and have mercy on the souls that have been and will be lost. May he bless our leaders and all of us. May he provide our leaders with the wisdom, the strength and the will to see this through.

Please, pray for our country! Please, pray for our leaders! Please, pray for all of us!
-- Bill Clark, Hudson

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