Fwd: Reflections On September 11

[Guest guest]

>Reflections On September 11

>

> By Scott Kalechstein, written

>on September 11th and 12th, 2001

>

>

> " If I understand what Gandhi is saying, nonviolence requires something

>far more difficult than merely turning the other cheek; it requires

>empathizing with the fears and other feelings that provide that impetus

>for people to attack us. Being aware of these feelings we have no desire

>to attack back because we can see the human ignorance leading others to

>attack us; instead, our goal becomes to provide the education for our

>attackers which will enable them to transcend their violence and engage

>in cooperative relationships with us. "

>- Marshall Rosenberg

>

>On September 11, 1906, Mahatma Gandhi launched the first mass campaign

>of nonviolent struggle the world had seen, in Johannesburg, South

>Africa.

>

>I am writing this exactly ninety-five years after Gandhi's actions, the

>day of the terrorist attacks.

>

>I feel sad, shocked and tremendously shaken up by this. At times I also

>feel quite calm, as if I was the center of a hurricane, an Eye of peace

>in the tumultuous storms around me. My focus has been to breathe in the

>suffering of those in pain and breathe out my love and blessings to

>them. A Course In Miracles teaches us over and over that all perceived

>attacks are a call for love in disguise, and that miracles happen when

>that love is given. Today I am sending love. Today I am asking the

>question of God: How can I relate to this event in a way that brings

>healing to the world? And the answer comes in a gentle, powerful and

>earth-shaking whisper: Extend compassion and empathy to everyone

>involved. And everyone is involved. Nobody on earth can pretend they are

>separate from this event. It is that big. What potential for joining and

>healing, movement and evolution!

>

>Rather than just labeling the terrorists as evil, can you imagine the

>consciousness of those who would give rise to such behavior? Can you

>begin to empathize with the pain that would inspire people to hate that

>way? I can. And I believe we must, if healing is to come to our world.

>It is said that if we could read the secret history of our enemies, we

>would find sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all our hostility. I am

>not saying we should accept violence because these people have suffered

>so deeply. Empathy is not an excuse to condone terrorism. It is a way to

>create the climate for healing so it is not repeated.

>

>Those who have experienced horror after horror and know not how to

>grieve, to process the layers of their pain, find their un-cried tears

>hardening into bullets and warfare. All energy moves to expression.

>

> If at all possible, I believe these people must be caught and prevented

>from taking further actions of terrorism. And if force is needed to

>undertake such prevention, so be it. But force as a means to punish or

>to regain power only continues to feed the problem. In Gandhi's words:

> " An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. "

>

>My hope is that we all allow ourselves to be shaken up by this, shaken

>out of our comfort zones that tower us Americans above the suffering and

>poverty that most of the world experiences. Perhaps all ivory towers of

>separation have to come crashing down for the healing of separateness in

>our world.

>

>If healing is to come, it will come through the consciousness of

>oneness. I am one with the hearts of all the people affected by these

>events. I am one with the people who lost their mates, the children

>whose fathers and mothers didn't come home. And I am one with the

>tortured hearts of those who took these actions. We are all in this

>together

>

>Here is a question I am pondering: How do these terrorists reflect a

>part of my consciousness? Is there a part of me that believes that

>acting out my anger is justified, and that sometimes it is necessary to

>violate someone to make my point or express my frustrations? Have I ever

>thought that inflicting pain on someone would wake them up, teach them a

>lesson, or accomplish something of value? Do I ever feel so hurting and

>helpless that the best I can do is throw a tantrum? Of course! My

>actions may not ever be as dramatic as what has been acted out on this

>day, but I do own the shadow part of my consciousness that has

>contributed to such events.

>

>The United States has a shadow too. We stampeded across this country

>through the genocide of the Native Americans, and we have contributed to

>violence all throughout the world since then. To the extent that this

>shadow is disowned and denied, a large part the world feels compelled to

>hate us and some even attack us. Just like an individual recovers from

>an addiction, we as a nation need to hit bottom, come out of denial,

>make amends for those whom we have inflicted violence upon, and own our

>weaknesses as well as our strengths. My hope is that the twin towers

>crumbling down can serve as our national bottom.

>

>Are the terrorists evil and is our country an innocent victim? Are

>things ever that black and white?

>

>I would like to quote the words of Michael Moore, who made the movie

>Roger and Me and has been a prominent political and social activist:

>

> " WE created the monster known as Osama bin Laden! Where did he go to

>terrorist school? At the CIA! Don't take my word for it -- I saw a piece

>on MSNBC last year that showed that when the Soviet Union occupied

>Afghanistan, the CIA trained bin Laden and his buddies in how to commits

>acts of terrorism against the Soviet forces.

>

>We abhor terrorism -- unless we're the ones doing the terrorizing.

>

>We paid and trained and armed a group of terrorists in Nicaragua in the

>1980s who killed over 30,000 civilians.

>

>We have orphaned so many children, tens of thousands around the world,

>with our taxpayer-funded terrorism (in Chile, in Vietnam, in Gaza, in

>Salvador).

>

>Will we ever get to the point that we realize we will be more secure

>when the rest of the world isn't living in poverty so we can have nice

>running shoes?

>

>Let's mourn, let's grieve, and when it's appropriate, let's examine our

>contribution to the unsafe world we live in.

>

>It doesn't have to be like this.

>

>-Michael Moore

>mmflint

>

>Everyone will project his or her issues onto this experience. Some will

>see cause to hate and fear. Some will be motivated to love. Some will

>perceive the end of the world. Some will see it as the beginning of the

>New Age. Many will perceive streams of miracles and blessings showering

>onto earth. It's all there- the dark, the light, fear, love, victims,

>villains, deaths, beginnings, despair, hope, wounds, healings, tragedy

>and miracles. I would like to close with the words of someone who

>emailed her experiences on Manhattan.

>

>I'm sure

>you have seen the footage by now on TV. What you

>haven't seen and heard is the amazing way the people

>of this city stepped in to help each other in ways

>that make me so happy and proud to live in this city

>and in this country and even in this world. The people

>of New York are an amazing and resilient breed and it

>was breathtaking to witness the kindness, patience and

>generosity of each person helping each other do what

>they needed to do to be safe and to get home.

>

>It is now the morning after and there is a strange

>calm over the city. Virtually everything is closed and

>people that are out are not talking. They are quiet.

>The streets are deserted. There is no looting or

>anything bad going on here right now. There is only

>people showing up to help, people quietly moving

>around, still helping each other in every way they

>can. Many are still in shock, many are looking for a

>way to help, as am I.

>

>If you want to help here, please take time to pray,

>whatever that looks like for you. Please visualize

>peace not only here but throughout the world. Please

>take some time to send love and all your blessings to

>the people who have lost loved ones. Please send

>prayers of light and strength to all those who are

>working around the clock to find survivors and to

>treat those who made it out alive but were injured.

>Send them healing energy. And here's a tough one,

>please send blessings even and especially to those

>people and countries that have done this. To some of

>you that may sound crazy but one of the greatest gifts

>we can give to our world right now is to send love

>into the hearts of people who harbor hatred. They

>clearly need it and we have the power to give it.

>Please find it in your heart to do so.

>

>I thank you for all the love and blessings each of you

>sent my way. I'll keep you posted on things as they

>occur here. I send you light and love as I know that

>this experience has affected you as well. I have you

>in my prayers as well.

>

>Blessings,

>Janice Marie