A post 9-11 writing

[This blog is a journal entry that was written just after 9-11] One lesson in this life I hope I've learned is that people should not be condemned by the actions of others. Right now in America, Arab-Americans are under suspicion because of the hijackings on September 11. America is deciding how to root out terrorism not only from the United States but from the world. Many in America are targeting those of Arab descent for blame, regardless of their loyalties. I hate this. It brings tears to my eyes. Recently, a friend confessed that he would complain were he getting on an airplane with single Arab men on board. I felt sympathy for him at the moment but have come to realize after more thought that that is an intolerable idea. The ripple effect of the bombings has been to generate the best and worst in people. Donations have poured in. Many of the firefighters and policemen who labored to rescue people in the ashes of the World Trade Center have paid with their lives. It is the individual in America who makes up his/her mind whom to trust and whom not to trust. We must trust as we have trusted in the past, regardless of the cost. What happened to the Japanese at the outset of World War II must not happen to people in America again. Our security has been violated, but our bond with mankind of all races and creeds is unbroken. While our government sorts out its options for extirpating terrorism, we, the citizens, must recognize the worth of individual Americans, punishing only those who are dedicated to under-minding the fabric of our democracy. These heinous individuals cannot be recognized by their race or creed but by their deeds. It is not an easy task but must be done in order to preserve the freedoms of every American.