[JohnR]

Terrorism is a very serious part of life these days. Much of it is directed at our country and us American Citizens. To say that it is a part of life is difficult but hopefully ou nation can and will change that.

I lived in Germany from 83-86 during a very volatile time in our history. The Berlin wall was alive and kicking, oppression reigned across much of the globe, and America was a target for action from around the world. Back then; most kids in high school in the US at the time had fire drills. We had bomb scares, except these were not drills. We never seemed to be able to go beyond a month or two tops without having some kind of threat directed at our base, Alexander M. Patch – HQEUCOM, or sometimes the school itself. We had regional advisories when we were directed not to go off base or for those that did not live on the base, to limit our time out of our homes. Threats that a trip to the local gausthaus or bierstuepel might be one way.

Those threats became very real. There were the deaths of our Marines in Beirut. The bombing that occurred at Le Belle Diskoteka in Berlin where several American servicemen and German citizens lost their lives. Countless acts of violence directed at America. High-jackings, assassinations and the like. There was constant rumblings that the Bader-Meinhoff Gang and Red Army Faction had developed plans to attack my High School itself to further their political statement. At one time, when my step mother and I were leaving Breunigerland in Boeblingen (sorta Bloomindales meets BJ’s Wholesale outside Stuttgart ) a pipe fell of the back off the car (US servicemen and women had USA plates on their private vehicles and those of their dependants). We called it in and shaken, brought the car to a garage to have it inspected. Nothing was ever found missing from the car, but no evidence was ever found to indicate to us if it really was what it looked like at the time. Since then, I have always had an understanding of what it feels like to be a potential victim in the ongoing war of terrorism. None of that prepared me for today.

Even though one part of my mind was programmed by history to almost expect something of this magnitude, it is still difficult for me to grasp the enormity of the events unfolding before our eyes today. Many people have lost their husbands, their wives, their children and friends today. The Rescue Personnel across much of the east coast but especially those in New York City have answered the bell of need to help our friends and family get through this horrible morning and the events of today there must be a significant loss of the men and women in their ranks. The loss of the personnel in the military and those that just happen to be on the wrong flight this morning – it’s just too much to stomach at any time. The people in the towers, the tear in my heart just gets worse and worse as what remained collapsed into the streets below.

My wife and I hugged our son many times today. It’s disgusting that events like this may continue during his lifetime. Give all of your family and friends a hug when you see them. And pray for those that are not as lucky to have everyone come home. Life is just too precious.

But one thing I learned when I was overseas. The acts of small groups of people with demented ideology and rationalizations of their actions do not always reflect the entirety of a society (unless its an entire people want to fight, well, they made the wrong choice). When Badder-Meinhoff and the Red Army Faction acted out against our personnel in Germany, our government and that of the German people went after those directly responsible and brought those responsible to justice. That WILL happen again now. Our government and that of the rational world community WILL find out who did this and America WILL bring an angry, competent sword to those responsible for today’s events.

Those that committed these events have tried to attack Our National Heart, Our Identity, and Our collective Good. They will not bring what is AMERICA to its knees. One of those traits that is American is to embrace people of race, nationality, religion, and origin that may be different of our own. Let’s not go hate any particular people because we “assume” they are responsible. If we let that happen, then perhaps these terrorists have won this round.

Let’s go forward and find those who ARE responsible and then bring the full weight the American people and all of its resources. Find the bastards that did this and turn their surroundings into a molten parking lot unfit for the survival of the maggots they are... When they are gone, it's time to go rough over those that might think this was a good thing.