The world is certainly not the place I thought it was just a day ago. The luxury to which we… The world is certainly not the place I thought it was just a day ago. The luxury to which we Americans have become accustomed, that of living our lives without fear for them, is gone as our naivete about the nature of the world collapsed. The peace in which we have believed ourselves to prosper was never so peaceful at all.

The world is indeed a different place now, requiring a new perspective, new policies, new plans and understandings. Yet it is important that we as Americans do not lose sense of our values and ideals with which we have always hoped, with which we built this great nation.

In the aftermath, we must be careful not to sacrifice the values upon which democracy and freedom are built. Our anger must not be so base as to disenfranchise those whom we condemn of due process.

We must not stigmatize communities or a people on the basis of ethnicity or national origin.

We must not attack the innocent nor seize upon the helplessness of the weak.

We must not polarize the world along the great continental rifts of religion or beliefs.

Our justice must not be so swift as to placate our lust for revenge and fan even greater the fires of hatred and violence.

I write this to urge Americans to stand strong and united against the forces of terrorism. We must not relinquish the freedom for which we stand to a darkness devoid of the light of reason. Americans in the face of such a monumental tragedy must unite with the citizens of the world regardless of the prejudices that have plagued humanity for generations.

In the dark days and months that follow, we must not lose sight of our brothers and sisters who stand equally alongside us, nor of the torch of freedom that we each must carry.

Dennison Bertram

CAS junior