20th September, 2001
I suppose the 11th September will stay in our
minds forever, and in years to come we'll all remember where we
were when last weeks horror too place in America. Just as we who
lived through the sixties remember where we were when President
Kennedy was shot.
I never in my life remember a day like last Friday. I've never
seen such a complete shutdown in Ireland in my life. My wife and
I usually go out on Friday night, but we decided to stay at home
instead and watch the 'Late Late Show'! The Clifford Brothers,
who lost their sister and little niece, were a shining example of
what the word 'Christian' means. They talked of love and
celebrating their sisters life. The whole country was impressed
by their approach to the tragic events which took place just
three days before. Another guest of the show knew a lot of the
Irish American firemen who died, and then he read out the names
Murphy, Sullivan, Mahony, etc... and it made sad listening. Men
who gave their lives for the highest goal, to save others. This
was a good Late Late Show, until ...
... Pat brought on a panel of guests, including Tim Pat Coogan,
Joe O'Connor and another couple to discuss US foreign policy.
Then I felt ashamed, I believe even Pat Kenny felt uncomfortable
talking about Hiroshima, Vietnam, the Contra's, American support
for Israel. Was this the time to have a debate on the cause of
the slaughter of the innocents?
During the past week I've heard people say, "It was terrible
to watch that tragedy on TV last week, and the loss of life, but
American foreign policy, etc..." Bullshit!! This was mass
murder of innocent men, women and children going about their
daily lives. Taking the kids to school, dropping their wives off
to work, working to pay the mortgage ... doing what we all do.
These people were not soldiers, they were nobody's enemy, and
America should not be blamed for contributing to their deaths. Do
anybody know what the hijackers stand for? Are we the infidels,
the enemy? Is it going back to the crusades of the Christians
against the Moors? The people of Afghanistan are starving whilst
a shawdowy figure, worth £500,000,000, hides in a mountain cave
plotting the downfall of our way of life.
Most of us have good friends, but sometimes our friends do
something we might not agree with and we tend to be a little cool
towards them. But friendship runs deep. America has been good to
us, and we to America. They took us in when we had famine, they
gave us work, and we built their bridges, railways and
skyscrapers. Forty million Americans claim Irish blood in their
veins. Every summer thousands of our children go to America on
holidays!! We know, and the American government knows, that they
go to work, make a few pounds to put them through college, or
just to experience an international culture, and arrive home in
September without the price of a bag of chips in their pocket!!
I've spoken to quite a few Americans through the internet and I
must say I've encountered no hatred, only sorrow and hurt that
people could hate them so much as to crash passenger planes into
financial centres. No American I've spoken to has mentioned
revenge, or wish to bomb men, women and children in another
country. They've said, "We've been through it, we don't want
other families to go through something similar". Eventually
they will demand justice for the victims and their families.
On tonight's news we're told that the Taliban leaders will
declare holy war on the West (which includes us!) should America
come looking for Osama bin Laden. A bunch of mad clerics running
a country which is going through terrible famine, where girls are
not allowed education, where women are forbidden to work, where
radio and TV is forbidden. All sport is banned, where people
practising Christianity are threatened with hanging, where
teenage boys are primed as suicide bombers, with the promise of
being met at the gates of heaven by 16 virgins an God to welcome
them home.
Last week America, the next time? The Eiffel Tower, Buckingham
Palace, the Vatican? It's true what they say, it's an attack on
our way of life that most of us are happy with, and have no wish
to change.
Bye for now,
Michael O'Hanlon.
