September 10, 2002

To Whom It May Concern:

I don’t know where to begin in stating how offended I am by your memo of 09/06/02. Not only does it trivialize the events of 09/11/01 by urging people to artificially “renew (their) commitment to (their) faith,” it suggests that only people of faith and people from “America” were affected by the events of September 11, 2001 and the many tragic events that have unfolded in their wake. It also suggests that those of us who are disgusted by the commercialization of these events, which have been turned into a circus of propaganda by the media and by our government (and now our “building management”), have forgotten the people who lost their lives here and in the many regions affected in the aftermath of the “attack on America.”

We are in the midst of a national climate which has given far too much air time to the damage done to “Americans”, with little discussion or regard for the global impact of our nationalistic and xenophobic policies and “principles.” In my mind, building a better world for future generations, does not mean pinning a flag on our lapel or donating blood once a year. It means taking responsibility for our role in the tragic loss we all experienced last year and working to find a peaceful, sane solution to the global conflict in which we now find ourselves. It requires recognizing that nationalism, capitalism and militarism are not the light at the end of this dark tunnel. We must change our lives for more than an anniversary and be willing to make bigger changes than simply those that improve our lives here in “America.” We will never be free unless we see how connected we all are and how it benefits us to end violence at home and in the world around us.

Sincerely,

me

September 10, 2002