As Americans, most of us lead lives that are very far removed from the scenes that have recently been aired of the horrific World Trade Center remains, the Pentagon aftermath, and the country of Afghanistan, said to be harboring the people responsible for the recent terrorist attacks. We get in our cars and take the kids to school, take ourselves to work, and do whatever our individual lives demand. Even since the September 11 attacks, where 180 tons of rubble has been removed (said to be a mere 15% of the total), 403 bodies have been identified, and 4,687 people are still missing and presumed dead, most of us have resumed our normal lives, shaken but surviving. The pictures of women being murdered at a local soccer arena in Afghanistan shocked and appalled us, but also left us feeling we should take some sort of action to end these acts of cruelty on an entire country of helpless victims. While it's unlikely that the overwhelming majority of the U.S. really wants to bomb another country, Afghanistan or aywhere else, we have been given little choice in the matter. President Bush, with the support of most of the rest of the world, asked for the likely culprit of the recent attacks, Osama bin Laden, to be turned over to the U.S, in order to avoid inevitable retaliation. The Taliban, which is the ruling force in Afghanistan, refused. Now, two weeks later, the U.S. has begun attacks on Afghanistan.  Shortly after the attacks were launched, Osama bin Laden appeared on television stating, "Americans will never know safety again." It isn't known when this message was made. Bin Laden's guilt in the attacks is mainly speculation at this point, but if he is innocent, it makes us all wonder why he doesn't come out to defend himself, rather than continuing to hide while never admitting guilt. At this moment, it isn't even known if he is still alive. While reports have been issued that he survived the attacks, one wonders how much credibility we can give to these sources. The U.S. targeted his strongholds, camps where he trains his terrorist soldiers. It may be some time before we know the results of the recent attacks by the U.S. In the meantime, we wonder when the next shoe will drop, what the next step will be in the attempts to bring down the United States.
At the same time the U.S. is dropping missiles in Afghanistan, they are also dropping humanitarian aid in other areas, less populated by the Taliban. These are vegetarian meals packets, designed to feed a person 3 times per packet. There is also medicine being dropped in this area of the world, where starvation and injustice have become a way of life. The idea behind dropping these packets, labeled as being distributed by the United States, is to let the people of Afghanistan know we are not out to get them. They need to know that our goal is to help rid their country of the current extremist rule. The problem with this is the hatred these people already have toward the U.S. If we were in the middle of a war and care packages began falling from the sky labeled "courtesy of Afghanistan," how many people would be willing to take a chance and consume them? Or are they already so far into the depths of starvation that they will gladly take and use whatever is given them? Let's hope the people who need it will find this food and they aren't afraid to consume it. It isn't the intent of the United States to kill the people of Afghanistan. We want is to be able to live without fear of future terrorist attacks. We want the people of Afghanistan to no longer have to live in fear of the Taliban. The aim is to do away with the terrorists who threaten to end life as we know it. Aggressive behavior is not our preferred course of action, but when the health and well-being of every individual in this country is at stake as well as the population of Afghanistan, when we see thousands of bodies lying amidst the rumble at the World Trade Center scene where fires continue to smolder and it is estimated will take at least another 10 months to clear, even the most peace loving person feels the call to arms is necessary. Computer Stuff | Downtown Carrboro Map | Events | Prices | Restaurants | UniqueOrn Enterprises 
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