CKNW Editorial
for September 12, 2001

Writing this editorial is one of the hardest - indeed it is the hardest by far – I’ve done in nearly 21 years. One scarcely knows where to begin although my principal thought, after the day ended, was one of horror … and love for all those who perished, were wounded, and their families. And I thought about the thousands of acts of individual heroism that must have occurred.

We will learn in the next few days just what the toll is … it will be horrible. One can’t help but think of all those who kissed their families goodbye yesterday morning saying that they would be home in plenty of time for dinner … or that they would call from San Francisco or Los Angeles.

There will be hours of talk and introspection. Questions will rightly be asked as to how four or more terrorists were able to get past Airport security. I’m not surprised, mind you – ten days ago I walked through security in Manchester Airport, which on its experience ought to know better, with one pocket full of change and the other with my keys.

And there will be, rightly, Congressional investigations of the CIA, the FBI and American security in general.
What I think must be said in the political sense, however, is this. There will be massive retaliation by the United States and we can’t discount that this will encourage more terrorism. This is war, 21^st century style.

The United States is often misunderstood, especially by us who live so close. We see the soft America ,,, the beer belly over the belt sucking a beer in front of the TV set during football season. But this is a very dangerous misconception. Going back to the beginning of the republic, when the United States Marines took on the Barbary Pirates, she has always woken up and then dealt a fatal blow to its enemies. One might cite Viet Nam as an exception but it, I think proves the rule because in that conflict the American people were not united.

Probably the best example of what happens occurred 60 years ago at Pearl Harbour. Admiral Yamamoto, the man who masterminded the attack, wearily told his diary that Japan had wakened the giant – as indeed she had.

It ought not to go unnoticed that just as Congress rose as one to cheer Franklin Roosevelt on December 8, 1941 when he talked of the "date that will live in infamy" Congress yesterday spontaneously broke into God Bless America.

Of all the American symbols I think of today – the Stars and Stripes, the Bald Eagle, the President’s coat of arms – one stands out. The snake with the motto "don’t tread on me." I believe, though I haven’t had time to research this, that this was the symbol of John Paul Jones the great American revolutionary sea captain.

We can get down to the question of justification though it is a moot question because retaliation is as sure as tomorrow is Thursday. America is seen by the Arab world as the chief arms supplier and financial of Israel – the devil incarnate to that minority part of the Arab world that sees terrorism as the way to fight back. This debate will happen as a continuation of a long and bloody contest. But as I say, the debate is moot. Whoever ordered yesterday’s horror has the Americans damn good and mad – to a person. Black, White, Native, Oriental, Latin or whatever background … men and women, Republicans and Democrats alike are mad. They’re mad as Hell and Yamomoto had it right. It’s just not a good idea to get the United States aroused.

In 1941 United States Army exercises were conducted with men drilling with broomsticks and with open cock-pitted biplanes dropping sacks of flour for bombs. Within a few months the United States was armed to the teeth, furious, and fighting back.

This is, as many have said, war. It’s not war as we have come to know it because one side is not a country but a movement. This makes it all the more terrifying because the United States is not likely to be overly concerned about some national sensitivities. I offer no words of approval or disapproval – I merely say that we are at the beginning of a terrible period in our history.

No one will ever get on a plane again with the same confidence as before … none of us can say it can’t happen here. It can happen anywhere, any time.

It would be wise counsel, I’m sure, to suggest to President Bush that he move carefully. But care and restraint, like beauty are in the eyes of the beholder. And President Bush leads a country whose Congress and entire people are simply not prepared to accept anything but vengeance. And when the most powerful nation in the world is bent on revenge it’s time to be scared as hell and thinking a lot about prayer.