Letters to the editor, Sept. 18

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Sept. 18

By:
Our diversity

is our strength
To the editor:
   As we go about the numbing work of rescue and recovery of disaster victims, we must also go about the work of reaching out to each other across the diverse peoplescape that is America. We are all kinds, all colors, all faiths, but we are all Americans or people on their way to becoming Americans.
   According to Diane Schwartz, executive director of the National Conference for Community and Justice-NJ Region, "We urge people not to rush to judgment or make assumptions based on stereotypes. …We should remind ourselves that the acts of the few don’t represent the beliefs and values of the many."
   This is a time for standing shoulder to shoulder in our grief and resolve. This is not the time, nor is it ever the time, to point the finger of intolerance. This is the time to learn more about each other as neighbors, colleagues, fellow students. This is not the time to fear our differences. Our diversity is our strength.
Katherine Kish
Co-Chair
Princeton Area Capital Chapter
National Conference For
Community and Justice
Princeton
Terrorist acts were

assault on humanity
To the editor:
   How many Muslims died? How many Buddhists died? How many Hindus died? New York is the world’s greatest melting pot. Its foundation may rest upon a Christian-Judeo sense of community. But in the spirit of America’s democratic traditions, our community is open to, shares its prosperity with and draws its strength from all of the races, religions and peoples of the world.
   The terrorist acts of Sept. 11 are far more than an attack on America. They are an assault upon humanity itself. The small group of people who perpetrated the pain, the death, the destruction have shown themselves to be the enemy of civilization wherever it exists in our world.
   The terrorists cannot justify themselves as engaging in a religious war. Their means, the results that they impose on others, even those with whom they would break bread, are fundamentally anti-religious. They create no community. They promote no common understanding of the human condition, with its joys and its sorrows. They produce nothing of value to share with the larger world community as a reflection of their own godliness.
   Rather, they tear down, they destroy, they prevent individuals from endeavoring to take care of themselves and their families wherever they live.
   The terrorists may momentarily claim success. But surely, God has not smiled upon them. There will be no lasting monument to anything they have ever accomplished in this world for themselves or for anyone else. Through hate filled destructiveness, they make themselves small. The progress of humankind will inexorably reduce these and all terrorists to nothingness.
   The spirit of the brotherhood of man, demonstrated by the people of New York and Washington, and their friends everywhere, joining together to address and overcome the many personal tragedies and our collective tragedy, will always emerge as the greatest force in the world.
Joseph C. Mahon
Province Line Road
Princeton
To buy into hatred

is to become a terrorist
To the editor:
   I am a person who likes to write. I also talk — a great deal. Call me a chatterbox. But since the two towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, taking countless loving relationships with it, I have not been capable of putting word to paper or even forming a complete thought. What happened Tuesday morning, I do not have the "brain computer chip" to process such information.
   Surprising to me in my somber state is the anger of others I see around me. I heard a man speak violently about "kicking out all the foreigners." I turned to him and told him each of us had better start packing; we are all foreigners. Or are we?
   Instead, perhaps, could it not be that we are all Americans? What a thought. Could it be that those of us with white, or yellow, or red, or black, or brown skin are all one? Could it be that each of us living in these United States of America just might have the same ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
   Many of us are Americans because somewhere in the history of our family someone made the decision to travel away from everything they had ever known, to come to a new place where each of us could become whatever we chose to become, whatever we chose to work hard to accomplish, to have the chance to dream and then watch the dream come true. Some histories are over 200 years old, others are only months old.
   I learned of the tragedy while sharing fellowship of neighbors at a neighbor’s home. Women who were connected only by addresses suddenly clung to each other, held each other and cried and cried out as we watched the towers crumble, as we watched the Pentagon attacked, as we viewed the scene of the crash in Pennsylvania. In that room were women whose family histories include England, Malaysia, Greece, Turkey, England, Germany, India and many more nations across our planet.
   We all are hurting beyond belief.
   When I hear ignorance speaking about destroying entire regions of our earth, or listening to the scorn in someone’s voice toward another American who happens to have a particular ethnic appearance, I shake my head in disbelief. For me, I see this differently.
   The terrorists set out to scare, to destroy and to disrupt. Well, they managed it all in the short term. But for every thoughtful, patient American, for each of us who will sit down and look at this with American beliefs and ideals set firmly in their mind, I believe each of us will see that they cannot change us as a people or a nation. To buy into the hatred that bred this horror is only to become one of the terrorists.
   God bless America, and every single one of us who live here and dream of a better tomorrow.
Anne Vickstrom
Maidenhead Road
Princeton
Anger and sorrow

over loss of a friend
To the editor:
   Anger and sorrow, when combined, can be very destructive emotions. Five days ago, I wouldn’t have been qualified to write about them. I now wake up every day angry and sorry — angry about the event that took thousands of lives, sorry for their families and friends.
   I’ve lost a friend who can never be replaced — a devoted husband, father, family man, my co-coach from Princeton Girls Softball. He was the backbone of many peoples lives.
   Forget Frank Reisman? Never. Forgive the faction responsible for sending him into a pile of rubble? No way. Anger and sorrow now play a part in millions of the living. For those who knew him, know that he would want retribution.
   I will always celebrate his life. I will celebrate when America finds those responsible for his death. I will never forget the anger and sorrow. Frank changed many families’ lives with his humor and fun-loving disposition. Frank changed Princeton Girls Softball with his barrage of baserunning.
   God bless all of us who knew him.
Tim Miller
Princeton Girls Softball
Stonerise Drive
Lawrenceville
Support for Israel

cannot be boundless
To the editor:
   No decent person would consider trying to justify the atrocities committed on Sept. 11. However, we should try to understand the anger behind these terrible deeds.
   If you asked Americans how much money the United States government gives to Israel every year, I’m confident that 99 percent would not even come close to the true figure, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 billion But, rest assured, ordinary Palestinians are better informed. When Palestinians see their homes being bulldozed, they see bulldozers made in America doing the dirty work. When they see helicopter gunships strafing their neighborhoods, they know these helicopters were made in America. When they see jet aircraft streaking across the sky with Israeli markings, they know these are American-built planes. Although the United States does not directly pay for provocative Israeli settlements on what many Arabs consider their land, America indirectly supports these settlements by its massive annual gifts to Israel — thereby freeing up Israeli money to pay for them.
   If Americans were fully aware of these facts, they would not be surprised when acts of terrorism are directed against them.
   Israel alternates between right-wing and left-wing coalition governments. When the Israeli left is in power, sincere efforts at peace are usually attempted. One thinks wistfully of the late Yitzak Rabin. It makes considerable sense for the United States to provide generous support for Israeli governments that are genuinely interested in making a just and lasting peace. But when people like Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon are in office, American policy ought to change and change abruptly. The money supply should be turned off. The flow of high-tech military hardware ought to be interrupted.
   When Palestinians and their supporters see this new policy in place, they will come to understand that United States is not on Israel’s side but on the side of peace and stability in the region. When they see that there are limits to America’s all-out support for any Israeli regime whatsoever, they will stop supporting to joining groups that engage in acts of terrorism against the United States.
   For sound moral reasons, I believe the United States should use its great power to guarantee Israel’s national existence. But that does not mean that we should fully fund Israeli regimes headed by butchers like Ariel Sharon to the same extent that we support those headed by decent men like Yitzak Rabin.
   There are profound differences between them and it’s high time American policy took these differences into account. When it does, we will eventually see an end to terrorism as a new generation comes of age in the Middle East, which understands that America is not their enemy.
C. Thomas Corwin
Park Place
Princeton
Thoughts and prayers

are with families
To the editor:
   On behalf of the United Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks, we express our profound sorrow and outrage at the recent horrific acts of terror committed on Tuesday morning, Sept. 11. Our deepest sympathies are extended to the families, friends and loved ones of the thousands of victims. Their lives, and ours, will never be the same.
   We offer our deepest thanks to the courageous efforts of those involved in the ongoing and tireless efforts of rescue and recovery as well. We stand firmly behind the president, Congress and law enforcement and intelligence officials in their efforts to put an end to the international scourge of terrorism.
   These acts of barbarism were an attack against America and the values of freedom, democracy, pluralism and the rule of law that we hold so dear. We cannot permit a small group of extremists to hold those values hostage. We join with others who call upon the entire civilized world to engage in a sustained effort to address the issue of international terrorism with firm resolve. We cannot permit terrorists to intimidate us or dictate our policies. We treasure our freedom to live as proud Americans, and continue to dedicate our lives to build a better world.
   Our thoughts and prayers are with the many families throughout the country who are grieving over their losses.
Carol Pollard
President
Andrew Frank
Executive Director
United Jewish Federation
of Princeton Mercer Bucks
Friday night football

was a bad call
To the editor:
   Following is a letter to the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education and administrators:
   Last Friday evening, Sept. 14, like so many others in our community, I sat quietly at home with my family and tried to grapple with our feelings of grief, shock and loss following Tuesday’s tragic events. Quite suddenly, my family’s quiet solitude was shattered by the sounds of celebration and the roar of a crowd’s cheer. Living close to WW-P High School South, I thought the school was holding a rally to show their respect and support for the World Trade Center relief workers and for the victims’ families. But then the announcer’s voice came blaring over the loudspeakers: "Touchdown, Pirates!" The cheers intensified.
   I shook my head in deep sadness and dismay. My sorrow was only heightened by the school district’s lack of regard for those of us in the community who needed to heed our president’s call for a day of prayer and mourning. Mr. Flynn, Mr. Carr and school board members, take it from someone in your community who has been directly affected by last week’s tragedy: Playing a high school football game Friday night was a very bad call.
   The district’s decision to hold a sporting event Friday, a day of national mourning, showed insensitivity to and disregard for the friends and family members of the victims of Tuesday’s terrorist attack. In addition, the lack of respect for our president’s request sets a very poor example for the youth in our community.
   The stated goal of Friday’s football game was to "keep the students engaged." In this case, the students’ time and energy was sorely misplaced. Instead of playing football, they could have been doing something to aid the relief effort. That would certainly have kept the students "engaged," and provided a wonderful way for them to offer their services to the community.
   Many of our national athletes and professional athletic organizations seem to understand the reason there were no games last weekend if because America’s heart is broken and will take time to heal.
   To those of you who would dismiss my opinion as being ignorant and uninformed about what "kids need to feel better," I need to say that I am a high school teacher and a parent who is keenly aware of the benefits of high school sports — when those sports are put into proper perspective and given the right priority. Sadly, on Friday night, WW-P’s priorities were all wrong.
   Lastly, I’d like to tell you that my husband’s company had offices on floors 94-99 in tower one of the World Trade Center. Although he is OK physically, there are still 400 of his 1,700 friends and coworkers who are dead or missing. I understand the need to grieve, each in his own way, and I long for a return to normalcy too. However, in the words of a local sports columnist, "those who think games should be played because it will help things become ‘normal’ again have got to come to grips with the fact that what we once knew to be normal is gone forever."
   If we are to heal and grow as a nation and as a community, we as adults must not only strive to understand this new "normalcy," but we must help our children cope by providing them with role models who can demonstrate a sense of dignity, concern for others, respect and restraint.
   My family and I are part of this community, and as the football spectators cheered, we wept.
Cynthia Natter
Villa Drive
West Windsor
Sikh Americans share

in the nation’s grief
To the editor:
   We all watched the terrible and horrifying events as they unfolded on Tuesday. And understandably, Americans everywhere are deeply saddened and angered by the terror brought on by the cowardly hijackers and their associates. But I would like to urge all Americans, in as strong as terms possible, to temper and focus their anger. In the past couple of days, Sikh Americans, easily distinguishable by their brown skin, turbans and long beards, have all too frequently been assaulted across the country, seemingly in retaliation for these events. Sikhs are not terrorists, Sikhs are not Muslim, we are honest and loyal Americans that serve our country along with all our fellow citizens. Sikhs are renowned for their strong work ethic; you will find us involved in public service and the military. Many Sikhs work in gas stations, as taxi drivers, as physicians, teachers and scientists. Most of us immigrated to this country from India, as well as from England and Africa, throughout the past hundred years to seek out this nation’s religious freedoms and pursue the American dream.
   So I am writing this letter to appeal to the readers to spread the word about Sikh Americans, and to please think twice before engaging in any vitriolic type behavior against what you may perceive to be Muslim-like people. We are as loyal and patriotic to this country as any other citizen, yet already there are dozens and dozens of reports against Sikhs simply because of our turbaned appearance — many of those surprisingly in Mercer and Middlesex counties, where there are reports of turbaned children being verbally harassed in schools and turbaned Sikh men being cursed at and threatened. Nationally, several Sikh churches (called gurdwaras) have been attacked, Sikh men are being assaulted, and even a case of a group beating of an elderly Sikh American with a bat in New York.
   As Americans, we should not tolerate this type of hateful behavior against other citizens. Instead our thoughts and prayers should be with the many Americans — the Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Sikh alike — that were lost in this horrific tragedy. God bless those lost and those involved in the rescue effort, and God bless America.
Paul Seehra
New Colony Drive
Hamilton
Don’t let nation

be torn apart
To the editor:
   Last Tuesday’s terror attacks on America displayed a horrific disregard for the value of human life. So many people were affected, especially in our area. I have been deeply saddened and truly touched by the events of Sept. 11. My heart goes out to the victims for what they went through, as well as to their families who will have to live with this terrible loss for the rest of their lives.
   This national catastrophe has created a wonderful outpouring of sympathy, caring and generosity. Many people have volunteered to help, donated blood or given money or other items. Rescue workers from our area have gone to New York to assist them in their time of need. I highly commend all of the search and rescue workers, firemen, police, paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital staff and the Red Cross for their enormous efforts. I heard one rescue worker from New York comment that he was continuing to look for survivors because "that person will matter to someone." Indeed they will.
   Let this brutal attack remind us daily of the need to keep this feeling of compassion, concern and generosity going forever. Although we are all very angry, let us not take matters into our own hands. The proper authorities will handle any retaliation. We cannot blame everyone we see on the streets. Do not let our nation be torn apart by ethnic differences. American citizens need to come together and stand as one supporting our president.
   Let us honor and remember those who were lost by examining the way we live. Remember to be kind to others. There is always someone with a larger problem than your own. Illness, auto accidents, fires and small tragedies strike every day. In the future, let us try to help not only our families and friends but neighbors, co-workers and even strangers in their time of need. Remember that their loss of one family member or friend is as significant to them as the loss of thousands in this attack were to us.
   Let us also remember our local firemen, police, and paramedics who fight for our own personal safety every day. Paramedics rush to the scenes of auto accidents. Firemen rapidly respond to fight fires in our homes and businesses. Police protect us and help to keep us feeling safe and secure. Let us not forget that these men and women often risk their lives for us. They need our support.
   Finally, remember what is really important — your family and friends. Live your own life to the fullest. Be kind to your children, your spouse, your parents, relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers — because you never know when it may be the last time that you see them alive. God Bless America.
Sherry Christian
Tamarron Drive
Plainsboro
Americans appreciate

support in Britain
To the editor:
   Here is an open letter to the people of Britain. I wasn’t sure how else to let people around the world know how much their outpouring of support means to me.
   I just wanted to take this time to express my personal thanks to the people of England. I was deeply moved when I saw the guards at Buckingham Palace playing the Star Spangled Banner and the British people singing. Thank you for your show of support. I hope that the people of Britain and all of Europe and the world know that we greatly appreciate all the outpouring of support.
   One thing is for sure: America will survive and come out of this stronger than ever. As I’ve been telling people, the terrorists, by attacking us, have woken a sleeping cobra. We will rebuild from this, New York will rebuild. Nobody can do this to Americans on American soil and get away with it.
   Since I cannot express my thanks to the British people personally, please make sure that the people in Britain know that Americans do appreciate it.
   Thank you so very very much.
Robert P. Rosetta
Ravens Crest Drive
Plainsboro
Contribute rebate

to national recovery
To the editor:
   Finally we have a really useful way to spend our tax rebate. This is not suggested as a political ploy. This is not the time for such nonsense.
   Personally, I needed — really needed — the rebate. But what better need now than to fund the monumental efforts ahead of us to recover from our national tragedy?
   Congress, please dedicate a fund toward which we can send our return checks. My checkbook is out, and my pen is in hand.
Steve Gaissert
Lawrence