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September 11 Families Call for Peace

Statement by families who suffered losses in the September 11 attack

Each of us lost a family member at the World Trade Center, thePentagon, or in the crash of Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.Losing loved ones to these extreme acts of violence has affected usdeeply. It is something from which we will never recover. But we havegained the knowledge that there are thousands of Americans andmillions around the globe who share our view that war is not theanswer to the crimes of September 11.

We have also gained critics, and their criticism has made us considerwhat it means to be an American citizen. It has made us aware of ourresponsibilities. And it has made us realize that now, more than ever, the battle to defend our freedoms begins at home. We are allAmericans. And if we cannot support each other, especially in ourdifferences, then we have already lost this battle.

We have also come to recognize our kinship with other innocent victimsof terrorism and war, a kinship that goes beyond our own borders.Among those who have reached out to us with sympathy are people wholost their own loved ones to violence throughout the world: peoplefrom Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Israel and the Palestinian territories,Afghanistan, Iran, Colombia, Ireland, and others who have experiencedhorrific losses. They have welcomed us into their global family, andwe treasure their support.

Since September 11 it has become clear to us that America must fullyparticipate in the global community: by honoring internationaltreaties, endorsing and participating in the international criminalcourt, following the United Nations charter and agreeing in word andaction to the precepts of international law.

We must move beyond seeking revenge and instead seek accountabilityfor actions that foster violence. We must conquer injustice bycreating a just world. We, and our children and grandchildren, willlive in a connected world. We can no longer pretend to live outside ofit.

More than 40 American service people have died in the militarycampaign in Afghanistan. Yet the few successful apprehensions of knownAl-Qaeda members have been made by other nations, through policeactions, intelligence and diplomatic channels.

In Afghanistan, thousands of innocent civilians have been affected bythe bombing, and the lives of millions remain in danger from theongoing hunger and poverty resulting from two decades of war,exacerbated by our recent military operations. Members of PeacefulTomorrows have visited innocent Afghan families who lost loved ones inthe US bombing. We have campaigned for assistance to these families,believing that such assistance represents the highest ideals ofAmerica and serves to bolster our support in the region.

The contemplated invasion of Iraq, a nation that has no proven linksto the events of Sept 11, in the name of the "war on terrorism" meansthat more American service people and more civilians would die, withunforeseen effects on our security, our economy, our ability toaddress the root causes of terrorism, and our relationship with othernations.

At home, the consequences of our singular reliance on a militaryresponse to the tragedies of 9-11 have been far-reaching. Our nationhas yet to begin a meaningful, independent investigation of how andwhy the September 11 attacks occurred. It is time to acknowledge thatpursuing a military response in the absence of pursuing other optionsis an extravagantly expensive, wasteful and limited means of action.The real work begins when the bombs stop dropping.

Terrorism is portrayed as our greatest, newest problem. But it is alsoa symptom rooted in other, more familiar problems: Extremism.Militarism. Poverty. Racism. Ignorance. Inequality. Hatred.Hopelessness. Rage. We haven't done enough to address them. And untilwe do, they will continue to announce their presence through violenceand terrorism, in an increasingly desperate attempt to bring aboutchange. We believe it is time to stop dropping bombs and to startpaying attention. Peaceful Tomorrows fears that our country is headingin the wrong direction. But we hope that through vigorous dialogue anda willingness to question and critique our actions we can begin toright our course. We ask that the commemoration of September 11 serveas a call for peace and healing, not for more war and violence. And weask you to bring your own unique skills and talents to bear in acritical national dialogue.The entire statement is at:www.peacefultomorrows.org/writing/sept1102statement.html