OT: Tuesday 11th September 2001

[loveofbuffy@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Whew.
I'm sorry that my first post to this group has to be about something 
so terrible as this, but as we're talking about it... 
It's been odd to see how the press over here in Britain have been 
covering the tragedy of Tuesday (yes, I'm from the land of the Queen, 
London, Oxford, Giles, Wesley and Spike - aka England). They, of 
course, are talking about the tragedy in terms of human impact - 
5,000 confirmed dead (this probably will go up), and 500 of those 
British. However, other issues are already being talked about that 
have bearing on the future. The atrocity is terrible, and my 
heartfelt sorrow goes to those who have lost friends, relations or 
their own lives as a result of this. However, I do not, unlike many 
people, feel that all-out war is a suitable response. That those who 
orchestrated this should be punished is without question, but that 
does not mean that hundreds, thousands, or millions of innocent 
Afganistans (if that's where the US decides to 'go into') should die. 
The enemy in this case is faceless (it may be Bin Laden but no-one 
really KNOWS), and even if it turns out to be Bin Laden, then he does 
not run the country, and that many people should suffer for the 
crimes of a few is wrong. But what about those who died on Tuesday? 
Is it not right that we should fight, and if poeple die, then the US 
death toll simply means it is payback. Bollocks. People are PEOPLE. 
HUMAN BEINGS. A human life is the most important thing I can think 
of. So the taking of it is wrong. ANY life. (you can tell I'm anti-
capital punishment, can't you.) Now, I would rather not kill anyone, 
however, those who are resposible SHOULD pay, and I don't think that 
it can, by necessity, be anything other than death. If they do get 
caught. Which, by the FBI/CIA recent performance (not even cracking 
Bin Laden's communication network) does not look to be anytime in the 
recent future. The US may wake up soon as to why it has raised such 
loathing in the Middle East and that it is not the ruler of the world 
(It is a great country, but very self-righteous). What happened on 
Tuesday was horrible. That will never change.
But we (US and Allies) shouldn't take innocent life in revenge. That 
would make us as bad as the terrorists.

You have my sincerest apologies on this rant, but I kinda felt the 
need. 

This is a great group, keep wrinting, there's some fantastic fic 
coming out of it.

Again, sorry. :-(

Andrew Jamison.