Re: [CR]Re: Our Response to Terrorist Attacks

> Steve: Usually I do not have much to say, but after yesterdays events I do
> not believe it inappropriate to make a comment. Peter Naiman
>
>
> >
> >*Please* leave politics off this list! Please!
> >
> >-S-
> >
> >peter naiman wrote:
> > >
> > > My immediate thoughts were reactionary torward the people of Palestine,
> >but
> > > I have a number of close Palestinian friends. We are all shocked and
> >deeply
> > > saddened at yesterdays events. To see people, young and old in the
> >Middle
> > > East reveling in victory is enough to set us off in a path of revenge.
> >Time
> > > must pass so that we may find the true guilty parties. My friend
> >recently
> > > brought his entire family back to the states fearing their safety.
> >Although
> > > I'm Jewish and he is Palestinean Christian, we have been friends for
> >many
> > > years. Many hours have spent talking over the problems in the Middle
> >East.
> > > Although we never agree, and our points of view vary on a solution, we
> > > respect the each others opinion. He is just as horrified at yesterday's
> > > events and has never thought that revenge, violence and terrorism are a
> > > solution.
> > > Peter Naiman
> > >
> > > >From: bnbrox@igc.org (Bikes Not Bombs)
> > > >To: bnbrox@igc.org
> > > >Subject: Our Response to Terrorist Attacks
> > > >Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 17:05:19 -0400
> > > >
> > > >Dear BNB Supporter,
> > > >
> > > >I am writing because I believe that in the wake of the horrible and
> >deadly
> > > >attacks in NYC and DC today, there is an opportunity for all thinking
> > > >people to take leadership and help our communities, local national and
> > > >international, to not take actions we will regret later.
> > > >
> > > >Almost without exception everyone I have contacted today is in some
> >degree
> > > >of shock. Many people have been unable to tear themselves away from
> >their
> > > >TV's, where they are shown, dozens of times an hour, the same footage
> >of
> > > >the second airplane crashing into the World Trade Center Tower in NYC
> >this
> > > >morning. Several of the teenagers who work at Bikes Not Bombs spent
> >the
> > > >entire second half of their school days just watching these scenes on
> >TV,
> > > >without discussion or help from the adults around them to deal
> > > >constructively (or at all!) with the tremendous emotions generated by
> >the
> > > >horrible scenes they were witnessing.
> > > >
> > > >I am afraid that without our leadership there will be a series of
> >strong,
> > > >negative backlashes. We are already seeing rampant speculation about
> >the
> > > >involvement of Arab or Palestinian groups, and the director of the CIA
> >is
> > > >inferring that an Arab state such as "Iraq or Iran" is also possibly
> > > >involved. I fear a wave of anti-Arab racism hurting innocent people
> >all
> > > >over the US. I am also concerned about President Bush and the right
> >wing
> > > >in this country using this attack as an opportunity to both introduce
> >new,
> > > >anti-democratic restrictions in the name of security, AND as a wedge to
> >get
> > > >the US to spend more scarce resources on the military.
> > > >
> > > >Things you can do:
> > > >
> > > >1) Contact your Congressional representatives (Senators and your House
> > > >Representative), and urge them to make public statements against rash
> > > >military or legal action against any parties or nations without due
> >course
> > > >of law. President Bush said, "Freedom has been attacked, and freedom
> >will
> > > >be defended." Please remind your representatives in Congress that we
> > > >cannot defend freedom without having freedom of speech and the freedoms
> >of
> > > >democratic action. If there are concrete actions that can be taken
> >that
> > > >would make these kinds of terrorist actions harder to accomplish in the
> > > >future, fine, let the US take those measures. But let us decide these
> > > >things after a reasoned debate, with evidence and hard facts. As a few
> >of
> > > >the anti-terrorist experts they actually managed to quote on this
> >morning's
> > > >news pointed out, there is no real way to defend against this
> >particular
> > > >type of action. This is not a time for a general reduction of civil
> > > >liberties. Civil liberties do not lead to terrorist acts - rage,
> > > >injustice, inequality and feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness
> >lead
> > > >to terrorist acts.
> > > >
> > > >Since all Federal office buildings are currently closed, your reps
> >aren't
> > > >receiving phone calls, so below we have supplied the contacts for the
> >Mass.
> > > >Reps, their e-mail addresses as well.
> > > >
> > > >2) Call your local media outlets and ask for a different type of
> >coverage.
> > > >Ask to see the thousands of humanistic stories that are developing as
> >New
> > > >Yorkers help one another out, as communities pull together and figure
> >out
> > > >what to do, as rescue workers and others repeatedly risk their lives
> >and
> > > >show great bravery. Cover the stories of how people all over are
> >talking
> > > >to each other more on the streets today, about how parents are figuring
> >out
> > > >ways to explain this horror to their children. Tell them that we want
> > > >responsible reporting and not speculation for a situation in which
> >there is
> > > >no available evidence yet about which group "may" be responsible.
> >Remind
> > > >the media reps that after the Oklahoma bombings there was widespread
> >early
> > > >conclusions that "Arabs" were behind it, only for us to find out if was
> >two
> > > >confused, sick, white men from the mid-western United StatesS.
> > > >
> > > >3) Contact BNB with your positive suggestions, both for things we can
> >do in
> > > >response to these attacks and their aftermath, and for real ways to
> > > >increase security for all humankind. We'd love to hear your
> >suggestions!
> > > >
> > > >Yours for peace,
> > > >
> > > >Mira Brown
> > > >Executive Director, BNB
> > > >
> > > >Massachusetts
> > > >Congressional Delegation
> > > >
> > > >SEN. EDWARD M. KENNEDY
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >315 Russell Senate Office Building
> > > >Washington, D.C. 20510
> > > > Phone: (202) 224-4543
> > > >Fax: (202) 224-2417
> > > >E-Mail:
> > > >Senator Edward M. Kennedy
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.senate.gov/~kennedy/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >SEN. JOHN KERRY
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >421 Russell Senate Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20510
> > > > Phone: (202) 224-2742
> > > >Fax: (202) 224-8525
> > > >E-mail:
> > > >john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.senate.gov/~kerry/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. JOHN W. OLVER (MA-01)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >1027 Longworth House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-5335
> > > >Fax: (202) 226-1224
> > > >E-mail:
> > > >olver@hr.house.gov
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/olver/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. RICHARD E. NEAL (MA-02)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >2236 Rayburn House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-5601
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-8112
> > > >E-Mail:
> > > >wtranghe@hr.house.gov
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/neal/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. JIM McGOVERN (MA-03)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >416 Cannon House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-6101
> > > >Fax: (202 ) 225-5759
> > > >E-Mail:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/writerep/
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/mcgovern/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP.BARNEY FRANK (MA-04)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >2210 Rayburn House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515-2104
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-5931
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-0182
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/frank/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. MARTIN T. MEEHAN(MA-05)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >2434 Rayburn HOB
> > > >Washington, DC 20515-2105
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-3411
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-0771
> > > >E-Mail:
> > > >mtmeehan@hr.house.gov
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/meehan/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. JOHN TIERNEY (MA-06)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >120 Cannon House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-8020
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-5915
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. EDWARD J. MARKEY (MA-07)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >1208 Rayburn House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-2836
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-1716
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/markey/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO (MA-08)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >1232 Longworth House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-5111
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-9322
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/capuano/welcome.htm
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. JOHN JOSEPH MOAKLEY (MA-09)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >235 Cannon House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-8273
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-3984
> > > >E-Mail:
> > > >jmoakley@hr.house.gov
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/moakley/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >REP. WILLIAM DELAHUNT (MA-10)
> > > >
> > > >Address:
> > > >1317 Longworth House Office Building
> > > >Washington, DC 20515
> > > > Phone: (202) 225-3111
> > > >Fax: (202) 225-5658
> > > >E-Mail:
> > > >william.delahunt@mail.house.gov
> > > >URL:
> > > >http://www.house.gov/delahunt/
> > > >
> > > >Some Boston Area Media ContactsS
> > > >
> > > >New England Cable News
> > > >617-630-5024
> > > >feedback@necn.com
> > > >www.necnews.com
> > > >
> > > >WBZ-TV, Channel 4
> > > >News - 617-254-6383
> > > >Main - 617-254-5969
> > > >www.wbz.com
> > > >
> > > >WCVB-TV, Channel 5
> > > >781-449-0499
> > > >Nights - 781-433-4550
> > > >Fax - 781-449-0260
> > > >www.thebostonchannel.com
> > > >
> > > >WFXT-TV, Channel 25
> > > >781-467-1300
> > > >fax: 781-467-7213
> > > >askfox@fox.com
> > > >www.fox25.com
> > > >
> > > >WHDH-TV, Channel 7
> > > >617-725-0777
> > > >Nights - 617-725-0775
> > > >Fax: 617-723-6117
> > > > 617-227-4782 Newsroom
> > > >www.whdh.com
> > > >
> > > >WLVI-TV, Channel 56
> > > >617-265-5656
> > > >617-282-0938 Newsroom
> > > >Fax: 617-287-2872
> > > >wb56mail@aol.com
> > > >www.wb56.com
> > > >
> > > >WSBK-TV, Channel 38
> > > >617-783-3838
> > > >Fax: 617-783-1875
> > > >wsbkupn38@aol.com
> > > >www.upn38.com
> > > >
> > > >The Boston Globe
> > > >617-929-2000
> > > >Fax: 617-929-3186
> > > >news@globe.com
> > > >www.boston.com/globe
> > > >
> > > >The Boston Herald
> > > >617-426-3000
> > > >Fax: 617-542-1315
> > > >www.bostonherald.com