Presidential speech I’d like to hear      posted 9-18-01

 

The President from the White House:

 

Fellow citizens of the world:  America has always valued the words of all people.  We’ve given people the right to use words in almost any way they choose, even when the hatefulness of their words bothered our sense of right and wrong. 

 

Deeds, also, have been cherished by Americans.  The freedom we give people to use their words and thoughts has allowed America to achieve tremendous accomplishments, marveled at by the world.  We have praised and supported the good words and deeds others  contributed to making the world safer and saner.

 

We have not been perfect.  We have made mistakes, especially when we haven’t understood the goals of other groups and governments and entered their country to try to change their ways.  Like the young people and nation that we are, we try to learn from, and not repeat our mistakes.

 

In recent years, we have been lenient with groups who have expressed hateful words and acts.   We have turned the Biblical other cheek. We have used limited and legalistic means to hunt down evil-doers.  We have hoped that our civilized process of retribution would entice those promoting evil words and deeds to change.

 

In return fanatical terrorists gave America its most tear stained 911.

 

In a young America composed of all the world’s many powerful, free religions, we separate religious powers from those of  the state.  That separation allows people to freely speak their beliefs, to freely school both sons and daughters, to experiment with various economic approaches to better their families’ lives.  That freedom, we believe, best allows their spirits to grow.  That growing spirit is something almost all Americans revere -- as something Godlike.

 

America believes that a true religion does not imbue its children with the belief that turning oneself into a suicidal bomb to kill others is a road to heaven.  America believes that a loving religion doesn’t stifle the learning and growth of the spirit of those mothers who raise its children.   

 

A fanatical wing of one of the world’s most respected religions has adopted beliefs that America cannot accept.   The non-fanatical, true believers of that religion are now responsible to correct those illiterate, hateful, non-religious beliefs.  You – the non-fanatical true believers – have a huge responsibility in ridding the world and your religion of murderers and terrorists.  But America now has a responsibility to limit the spreading of hate and terror that those fanatics have so sinfully sown.

 

When made aware and educated about injustices, Americans are probably more caring than its government.  If fanatics had concerns about social injustices, their smartest approach would have been to spend time, money and their self-perceived brilliance on educating Americans to help correct those injustices.   Instead of convincing Americans to donate their time and money to the many non-profit organizations that could help address their peoples’ needs or to influence our government’s actions, the fanatics spent on training human terrorists.  By spilling American blood, the needs the fanatics hollowly espouse will deplete the help available from American birthed organization such as the Red Cross, Peace Corps, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, etc.

 

Some of the terrorists hate-blinded leaders say the loss of life America cries about today is what their people face everyday.   It is their history lesson to us, they say.  It is too bad they weren’t educated enough to know that many of the Americans they murdered supported with their words and contributions whatever just social causes the fanatics might have advocated.  Now those supporters and a nation of others have vanished.

 

Your connections and money has bought you sophisticated technology and weapons.  You have played to the camera.  You have escalated your devilish acts from dragging butchered American soldiers through African streets to burying thousands of innocent Americans under a mountain of steel. 

 

You have boasted of your manliness as you enslave women, teach innocent children to kill others and proclaim America as weak.  You have rejoiced at watching our televised nation cry.  You have smirked at seeing tears well up in my eyes.  You have no comprehension of the torrent of damned tears you gushed from our grieving nation’s hearts.

 

We pray that the innocent that you may cowardly choose to hide amidst will be spared the valley of tears we have shed for our innocents.    We will do our best to grab you without harming the innocents.

 

It is our grand canyon of innocent tears that has awakened the giant American spirit. 

 

You are welcome to suppose those tears as weakness.  Welcome to believe that your Maker encourages you to murder innocents.  Welcome to cavort with other fanatics who address world needs with murder, mayhem and terrorism. 

 

Your 911 call has made America believe that you will not change.

 

We will answer your call.  We are coming to find you, your connections and your lifelines.  We suggest you examine your religious beliefs.  We come to test your theory that heaven awaits murderers. Pray that you find true religion before we find you.  We prepare to send you to Hell.

 

 

 

Dwayne Hunn, Ph.D. Public Finance and Administration, has been a Peace Corps volunteer in India and Habitat for Humanity worker.