Today you get something different. Sort of.

First, I would greatly appreciate it if you would all go to my Eagle page and view those images. Then, return. You can either open this link in another browser window, or simply click on the link up there. There is a return link on the page.

I want to say what those images express, but why use words when the pictures speak for me?

Next, I want to draw your attention to an Email a friend of mine sent me. Feel free to copy this and send it to your friends if you're so inclined. But please, make sure the credit goes to the person who wrote it. The person who wrote the editorial gets the credit, folks.

The final letter is one that I sent to many D-landers. I fully intend to send it to more if I can't get to their personal diaries. So, for the time being, I'm posting this letter here.

The last item is this... I've seen a whole lot of people responding with bickering and backbiting. I've seen it in diary entries too. I believe that for some the behavior is their coping mechanism. I think for others they're just being bitchy. Regardless as to the reason, please take a moment out of your day and put yourself in the place of those you're bicking at/about.

If at all possible, let's try to spread support and understanding. Let us join together and focus the attention on that which truly deserves the anger. Yes, I believe in righteous indignation. I do not, however, believe in aimless rage, anger or confusion. One of the best ways to destroy and enemy is to make them destroy themselves. Let us not do the work for our enemies. Please.

Let your anger fuel you to change. Let your anger fuel you to a positive change. Don't let the "bad guys" win by fighting their battle for them.

Just my perspective.

J

Subject: FW: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES - editorial from a Canadian news paper

Wednesday, September 12, 2001

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers and Pentagon will be the costliest man-made catastrophe in U.S. history, resulting in billions in insured losses, according to USA Today. Until yesterday's tragic events, the two largest man-made disasters were the Los Angeles riots in 1992 ($775 million in insured losses) and the World Trade Center bombings in 1993 ($510 million in insured losses). The most costly natural disaster in the U.S. was Hurricane Andrew in 1992 ($15.5 billion). In general, standard property and casualty policies cover damages stemming from terrorists attacks. In the case of large skyscrapers, one company may be the lead insurer while multiple layers of other insurers share the risk.

Subject: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES - editorial from a Canadian newspaper

America: The Good Neighbor.

Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth.

Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.

I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes?

Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once, but several times - and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those.

Stand proud, America!

Most of you may never have heard of me or anything... that's cool and all. I'm writing in the wake of our recent difficulties.

Many people are asking when we will return to normal. Some people are out there calling for blood. Some people are running around taking vigilante justice (so to speak) on anyone they think doesn't fit right in their world.

I personally think that taking matters into my own hands is not a good idea. I don't know all the facts. And yet, returning to "normal" doesn't appeal to me either. Therefore, due to my own belief that nothing will change unless someone changes, I am starting a "hug" campaign.

This is a big thing for me. Okay, so not *that* big, but still. I'm not a huggy person. But, instead of me just walking down the street and hugging people at random (which I might choose to do at some later date) I am hugging everyone I 'know' online.

I'm not asking you to forward this Email. I'm not asking you to start some Email-chain. I am simply sending out my comfort and saying that in this time of confusion, hatred, anger, fear, terror and apathy, I am making a change.

I don't know that this will "do" anything. But I want all of you to know that there is at least one person out here who isn't going to beat up anyone who doesn't fit into my life. There's at least one person out here who believes that we as a Nation will rise above this. There is at least one person out here who will stand a little taller (except when bending to hug people shorter than me) because I refuse to let myself fall. There is at least one person out here who believes that "normal" didn't work.

I believe that we do need greater security. I do not, however, believe that we need to let the pendulum swing all the way to the oposite end of the spectrum. We must land on solid, middle ground. We must rise above this tragedy with an absolute minimum of reactive retaliation.

Because of all of this, I extend my love. I "hug" each and every one of you as a sign of strength, courage, competance and out of a desire to make a positive change.

For all of you who didn't get a personal appearance by me to their guestbook, notes or message board, you're getting your hug by mass Email.

We as a Nation and we as a species will come together, rise above and come out of the smoke stronger than before. We will not go back to what we were before and I hope none of you really wants to. This is an event which has changed, ended and begun life. Let us move forward, learn from this and become stronger.

Thank you for listening.

Peace unto thy heart.

J
AKA
The Fatal Tiger

http://TigreFatalis.Diaryland.com