The
Los
Angeles Times, Jan. 21, 2003
"How many more Sept. 11 can we take?" --Linh Duy Vo
May I share with you, my
fellow Americans, my letter, replying to a physician at the University of California at Irvine. This letter is in hopes to touch the hearts of the religious leaders of the world in a space of oneness.
Subj: A humble reply
Date: 1/9/2003 9:31:16 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Poet Linh D Vo
To: ...@...mc.uci.edu
Hi Dr. N.,
Had the victims not made their pains known, Cardinal Law would not have resigned. The victims sued. Many churchgoers stopped giving collections. With the human courage, many stood up for the victims. These humans should not be labeled as "reactive" and "vengeful".
If an American cannot say a word to let the certain "religious organization" or "church"
remember the war which their followers have been waging against America, there is no hope that they will do anything to their "few bad
followers", as you generously so stated.
An American would have sued that Church if he could, as he did to the Catholic Church. All he can do is not to buy that particular
religion's commemorative postage stamp -- if there is one as such.
Research, at this point, shows there is not.
Your words seem very forgiving, as you said we should be "compassionate and tolerant" in this regard. I consider you as a perfect human being. I am still striving to be
as compassionate to the kindest country -- America -- that took me in, unconditionally giving me a home with love and freedom when it did not have to do it, at all.
About forgiveness: General H. Norman Schwarzkopf once told the reporters when he was asked if there were rooms for forgiveness for those who took down the World Trade Center, that forgiveness is a function of God, ours is to arrange the meeting.
Respectfully yours,
Linh Duy Vo
(The Boy in the Poem)
gratitude.org/the_girl_in_the_burka.htm
Poet's note:
I received a few educational e-mails, responding to a forward e-mail sent by our family's friend, a former commodore of the Seal Beach, California, Yacht Club. It reads:
Subj: FW: Dear Patriotic Americans
Date: 1/7/2003 4:55:57 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: twopoms@
To: twopoms@
>Dear Fellow Patriotic Americans:
>
>REMEMBER the bombing of
>PanAm Flight 103,
>
>REMEMBER the bombing of
>the World Trade Center in 1993,
>
>REMEMBER the bombing of
>the Marine Barracks in Lebanon,
>
>REMEMBER the bombing of
>the military Barracks in Saudi Arabia,
>
>REMEMBER the bombing of
>the American Embassies in Africa,
>
>REMEMBER the bombing of
>the USS COLE,
>
>REMEMBER the attack on the
>World Trade Center on 9/11/01,
>
>REMEMBER the attack on the
>Pentagon on 9/11/01...
>
>REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost
>in those vicious attacks.
>
>Pass this along to every Patriotic American you know.
>
After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six and injured 1,000; President Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.
After the 1995 bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed five U.S. military personnel; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.
After the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 and injured 200 U.S. military personnel; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.
After the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, which killed 224 and injured 5,000; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and
punished.
After the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 and injured 39 U.S. sailors; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.
Maybe if Clinton had kept his promise, an estimated 3,000 people in New York and Washington, D.C. that are now dead would be alive today.
The
Los
Angeles Times, Jan. 21, 2003
See "September 11"
The War Protester in the Streets of Hollywood
© Copyright by Linh Duy Vo. All rights reserved.