Todd Natti seems to think that those mysterious chalkers are peace-loving hippies who just want to sit back and watch the world crumble around them. He is sorely mistaken. I, for one, agree with all the statements that were written. Not one of them ever claimed that nothing should be done about the attacks on Sept. 11th. On the contrary, we want to see justice served just as much as any other American.
But, our path toward justice is one that involves peaceful means. I was walking down the Spine and I overheard a woman comment on the chalkings. She said, with a look of disgust on her face, "Well, they killed us, so we should kill them." Since when is that the American way? An eye for an eye will only leave the world blind.
It is only a matter of time before the terrorists retaliate against our attacks and then, once again, we will bomb someone. The cycle of violence will continue with no lasting peace. Why not at least try to use international law before bombing? If the Taliban refuse to give up Osama bin Laden, after we have given them proof (which we have yet to do), then we can call in a U.N. task force to go in and get him. Place him on trial with the world as the jury.
Natti claims that the chalkers "need to open their eyes," but I think that it is Natti, and others like him, who needs to look at the world anew. Those "military targets" the United States has hit lie within the largest city in Afghanistan and are surrounded by other buildings and innocent people. It is inevitable that innocents were killed.
Again, I'm not saying that nothing should be done to punish those responsible. But right now, I think we are punishing the people of Afghanistan more than the terrorists themselves. And I know what some of you are thinking. We are dropping food as well as bombs, but we are dropping a few thousands of food packets when there are literally millions starving. The numbers simply don't add up. The end of terrorism will not come about through violence; rather it will come through the change in U.S. foreign policy.
My final thoughts have to do with the comments that Natti made about how is an American patriotic. Since when is being American parallel with blind vengeance? If wanting to see more people die makes me an American, then you can count me out. American has always been about liberty and justice. Justice is not being served here, and it never will be with the path George Bush is taking us down.
