The scenes we have all seen today are almost too much to bear. As Duke fans,
we all know people who are from New York, or who have moved there, and probably
some people in the Pentagon as well. We're sure we speak for everyone when
we say our thoughts and prayers are with New York and Washington. These
are two cities which get made fun of a lot, at least partly because so much
power is rooted there, but that power is also a target, as we learned again
today.
For us, our immediate concern was Boswell, who was due to fly into, and then
out of, New York today. We are happy to report that he and Mrs.
Boswell decided to stay in Europe for a few extra days, and so they were spared
of any possible connection to the depravity New York endured today. James, who flew to Hong Kong today, is also fine.
While channel surfing today, as most of you likely did, we came across Tom
Clancy, and while we expected him to take a hard line, we were pleased, and
impressed, to hear a plea to hang on to our values while they are under
assault. He spoke movingly of the importance of religious tolerance in
this nation, and if the attacks do turn out to be Islamic attacks, while there
will be many emotional repercussions, we would like to pass on his
sentiments. Many Dukies, particularly graduates and students of the last
25 years, have lived with students who were either Moslems or of Islamic
families. There is a lot worth praising in Islam; like any significant religion,
it's the people that mess it up. Innocent people have suffered greatly
today, and it's not going to make things better by persecuting other innocents.
Also, there is a tremendous need for blood, so if you would like to help in
any way, giving blood - particularly if your type is rare - would be a blessing.
After the scope of damage becomes clear, the question is what to do about
it. The attacks have quickly been called a new Pearl Harbor, and that
sentiment seems to be widely accepted. What we saw today is not so much an
act of terrorism as an act of war, and it should be addressed as such.
Clearly, there is a difference between declaring war on the Japanese Empire
and on whoever did this. For one, you can't literally declare war on a group or
groups. But the environment has changed, and this is as real an act of war as
was Pearl Harbor.
While we're all for the rule of law and everything that entails, perhaps it
is time to think thusly: any group which either commits an act of war against
the United States, or declares an intention to do so, should be be prepared to
accept the consequences of that. In other words, there isn't really much point
in sitting around and waiting to be hit again. If someone even considers trying
it, if there is any indication that they might, they should be hit first, and
they should be hit profoundly. War is war, and just because it's a dirty
war doesn't mean you should be passive. If they want a war, by God, they should
get one they won't forget.