Terrorist acted out of "courage and faith"

Grand Forks Herald ^ | 9/13/2002 | Rev. Gretchen Daneke Graf

[Otto Krueger]

One year ago today, 19 young men on a mission profoundly changed our lives and the life of our nation. Theirs was an act of faith and courage, a carefully planned statement against what they saw as the evils of a corrupt and oppressive nation. They were willing to give their lives so the world would hear their outrage. We believe they were wrong, but we can't tell them, because they can't listen. By going down in a blaze of infamous glory, they believed they would have the last word.

[Otto Krueger]

The Wrong Rev. Graf is getting her come-uppance from the local folks for this idiocy.

[Dimensio]

So how many people read beyond the first paragraph before forming an opinion?

[stop_fascism]

The first sentence was enough.

and yes, I read the whole thing. Sorry they didn't include the poem about mother Theresa. That would have been the cherry on top.

[3AngelaD]

I read the entire thing. She is still a squish head. No wonder the mainstream protestant churches are driving away their members, if their clery have such horrible judgment. People who kill thousands of innocent people to "be heard" are not brave. Their faith is in hate and destruction. They are evil, willful cowards. I don't want to understand them.

[Honorary Serb]

One year ago today, 19 young men on a mission profoundly changed our lives and the life of our nation. Theirs was.....a carefully planned statement against what they saw as the evils of a corrupt and oppressive nation.

WAY, WAY WRONG!!!! The 19 al Qaeda savages gave their lives so that islam might conquer America and the world, and so they might "enjoy" the only sure path that islam offers to heaven--"martyrdom"!!!!

American mainline Christian mis-leaders who spout the they died to protest American "arrogance", "world poverty" and "the Israeli occupation" crap need to get their heads straight!!!!

[Cicero]

Fifty years old and she still hasn't grown up. Definitely a product of the delusional 60s.

[moderation_is_not_a_bad_thing]

I happen to agree with this view. It was an act of faith and courage; it was also stupid, pointless, and misguided. But it was an extreme act of faith that few of us would be willing to follow in support of our own beliefs.

[woofie]

I read it....still have a low opinion of it....Lets all sing "Kum Ba Ya"

[Dimensio]

I also have a low opinion of it, but the opening paragraph could very easily be taken the wrong way to make the author out to be a traitor.

[Argus]

It's okay to love your enemy...

After you've crushed him into total submission.

[Yankee]

"We can be defined by anger and retribution and violent response" ....or we can sit and wait to be slaughtered like sheep.

This moron can turn the other cheek if she chooses.

I say "Let's Roll!"

Fortunately for her, the brave sacrifices of others will save her worthless butt and her inane opinions.

[N. Theknow]

Read the whole thing....twice.

My opinion...

Even women can be dickheads.

[KSCITYBOY]

Your nailed that --- I see a car with an older women with short grey hair and 70% of the time they have a liberal sticker on the bumper. The folks from the 60's who were gonna change the world did: Aids, a huge drug problem, and billy bj clinton. Thanks a lot!

[Argus]

True. Everytime I see that weathered Gore-Liberman sticker on the bumper of an SUV, I think, "grey pony-tailed loser who wears sandals, male or female", and every time it's true.

[SES1066]

... We will export development and not destruction. We will share our knowledge, our food, our health care, our commitment to justice and our hope for a better life until you come to know us as a good and generous people as we know ourselves."

The good Reverend probably thinks that this should be charity and foreign aid. In the real world the best aid comes from mutual trade which raises the standards of most participants. While there was a Marshall Plan, the majority of Europe's and Japan's recoveries after a DEVASTATING WW2 was from trade and free economies!

Unfortunately, this is not the goal of the reactionary Islamist movements that are our attackers. From the Ayatollahs to binLaden, they abhor the free associations and cultural interchanges that come with trade. They appear to seek a return to an autocratic Muslim Theocracy and then to lock it down on the entire world. These 'brave' terrorists, of whom I'm not convinced that all knew of the nihilistic goals of their leaders, were indoctrinated by fanatics to whom the concept of an open mind was anathema!

I wish that C.S.Lewis was here to add a few chapters to his "Muscular Christianity"! Our Lord did not treat the powers and principalities of this Earth the same way as he treated the individuals. He recognized that evil existed and must be fought as such. To think that the attacks of 09/11/2001 were anything but evil is to forsake the clear goal of His Kingdom, the ultimate triumph of Good!

[Otto Krueger]

I should have noted the reply by one Charlotte Wood on the op-ed page of the Grand Forks Herald:

Our innocent murdered and wounded citizens were dishonored by those words she chose to begin her speech. These terrorists were murderers. They were not freedom fighters and most definitely were not men of “faith and courage.” There is no excuse for the decisions they made. They did not convince the leaders of their country to declare war upon ours. They attacked civilians. They were cowards. They were cruel. They were wrong.

Full letter is here: http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforksherald/news/opinion/4064421.htm

[woofie]

LOL

[woofie]

Yea,I think this woman was trying to write as if she was seeing the world through the terrorist's eyes ...then she trys to say love will overcome them....ok,fine... but in my view the message should be "You want to die for your cause? great! we can help and by the way why not die now before you cause any more harm?"

[secretagent]

The Reverend has a wonderful opportunity to actualize her sentiments. Take her message directly to the Islamists.

Danny Pearl found some, and so can she.

[Honorary Serb]

Why not post the whole thing? Here it is. By the way, I had to chose carefully which events to attend on 9/11, because I would have been offended by an event featuring muslims or their apologists, including Christian apologists for islamism. So I relate strongly to the letter below.

Also by the way, in the Christian faith, going along with or enabling evil has nothing to do with love.


Posted on Fri, Sep. 13, 2002
MAILBAG: Do not sugarcoat savagery


GRAND FORKS - I attended the Town Square Memorial for the victims of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The people gathered were solemn. The presentation of four wreaths in memory of the four planes that went down that day brought me to tears.

The ceremony was reverently and tastefully done, until the Rev. Gretchen Daneke Graf uttered the opening statement of her speech. “One year ago today, 19 young men on a mission profoundly changed our lives and the life of our nation. Theirs was an act of faith and courage, a carefully planned statement . . . We believe they were wrong, but we can't tell them because they can't listen.”

Our innocent murdered and wounded citizens were dishonored by those words she chose to begin her speech. These terrorists were murderers. They were not freedom fighters and most definitely were not men of “faith and courage.” There is no excuse for the decisions they made. They did not convince the leaders of their country to declare war upon ours. They attacked civilians. They were cowards. They were cruel. They were wrong.

I attended today's memorial to remember our innocent people murdered, our wounded survivors, our gallant firefighters, paramedics and police officers who responded to these attacks and helped evacuate the survivors, some of them valiantly sacrificing their lives so that others might live. I attended today's memorial to honor the passengers of Flight 93, who fearlessly gave their lives and by doing so saved the lives of countless others. I attended today's memorial to honor our military members, those returning home, those currently in danger and those who did not return from the fight for freedom.

Daneke Graf's paltry attempt to justify the actions of these barbarous killers was a slap in the face for this American and a disgrace to this community.Charlotte V. Wood

This letter was also signed by six others.