Remember to think
Tomorrow, we will join with our community, our nation, and our world as we mourn the egregious loss of life that occurred a year ago when terrorists wrongly and unjustifiably attacked the United States. However, as we reflect on that day, it is imperative that we take the time to reflect on all of the victims. It is not enough to look at September 11 as an isolated incident. Tomorrow, we must remember not only the people who died on September 11, but also the innocent civilians worldwide who have died (and continue to die) as a direct result of the United States’ “War on Terror.” On this day of heightened emotions, candlelight vigils, and understandable sadness, don’t forget to think.
September 11 was a wake-up call to the world. That morning, approximately 3,000 innocent people died. The heinous use of violence was unforgivable, and demanded an American response. Following that day, we heard our president speak in fury about what kind of people would commit such an atrocious act; we heard about how uncivilized a group must be to take innocent lives in order to prove a point. After the attacks, the United States had the opportunity to lead the world against violence and mark a turning point in history by utilizing large-scale international law for a just response. Instead, America hypocritically chose to respond to violence with more violence.
Since September 11, United States troops and our allies have killed more than 3,500 innocent Afghan civilians-not members of Al Qaeda, not members of the Taliban, and not terrorists-innocent men, women, and children who were in no way complicit in the September 11 attacks. This fact is not publicized widely in the American mainstream press, and with good reason. If the American public knew that American forces have killed-and continue to kill-even more innocent civilians than were killed on September 11, then widespread support for the “War on Terror” would surely dwindle. But unlike the American press, foreign newspapers have been paying attention, and some Americans are keeping track. See, for example, this web page for a day-by-day account of civilian deaths: http://pubpages.unh.edu/
~mwherold/AfghanDailyCount.xls. The latest update is from September 3rd-contrary to popular belief, the war in Afghanistan is far from over.
Unlike what Attorney General Ashcroft wants us to believe, it isn’t unpatriotic to question United States governmental policy. It isn’t un-American to ask why, under Ashcroft, the United States, a supposed melting pot, has detained without legal assistance 1,200 immigrants of largely Middle Eastern descent without bringing against them a single legal charge. It’s important to think about why we are killing Afghan civilians-including the women we claim to be freeing from oppression-while we continue to support Saudi Arabia, the homeland of 15 of the hijackers, where women must also cover their bodies from head-to-toe and cannot travel without the permission of a male relative. It doesn’t aid the terrorists or justify their actions to look critically at the world and think about what would motivate people to attack the United States.
As we consider the casualties, let’s not forget Iraq, where U.S.-supported economic sanctions have already led to the deaths of over 500,000 Iraqi children-a number that former Democratic Secretary of State Madeline Albright dismisses as “collateral damage.” Leading up to this anniversary of September 11, the Bush Administration has attempted to manipulate American emotion and fear into justifying a military invasion, an idea unpopular with our own allies around the globe. Such an invasion will only further destabilize an already volatile region of the world. Considering the potential weapons of mass destruction in that region, this is not a risk we can afford to take. No causal link whatsoever can be proven between Iraq and the World Trade Center attacks. We cannot allow our fears since September 11 to dictate a unilateral policy of destroying every country whose values do not fall under the mantra of the United States. President Bush’s idea that a country is either “with us” or “with the terrorists” is arrogant, shortsighted and wrong.
If we are ever to live in an America that is free from the threat of terrorism, it is urgent that we educate ourselves and reevaluate our role in world affairs. Just because you haven’t heard about Afghan civilian deaths on CNN doesn’t mean they haven’t happened. Just because you may not have studied South America, the Middle East, or Asia doesn’t mean that a responsible world citizen shouldn’t know of our involvement there. Tomorrow, it’s important to remember the terrible tragedy of September 11, 2001. But it’s just as important, if not more, to remember to think.
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