The World Trade Centre/Pentagon Abomination

Brian Risman

Articles Editor

September 17, 2001

This column is one of the hardest I have ever written. Notice the title of the column. I, unlike other commentators, refused to call it a ‘disaster’. A flood, an earthquake is a ‘disaster’. Nature produces ‘disasters’. People – and I use the word with great difficulty – produce abominations.

Some will say that there were political/religious reasons for what was done on September 11. As U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair stated, no politics, no religion is a justification for this horrible act. Countries can have disputes, factions can have civil wars. And the death, suffering and destruction resulting from these events is a bane on our existence. However, there is no justification for an attack solely aimed at innocent people. People who got up that morning, kissed their family goodbye, and went to their death. Who went to work. Who took a flight.

I have been in New York City countless times, and in fact had attended a business meeting on the 104^th floor of the World Trade Centre. When I think that I could easily have been there that day; that the people I met with, that I saw on that floor are likely dead; that the commuters rushing to work from the train originating from New Jersey are similarly likely dead – I still cannot comprehend the faces, the shock, the dying people and the dying towers. Likewise I have been in Washington, though never at the Pentagon. I think of those who went to work there in defense of freedom, and died without warning or justification in an attack on that freedom.

This abomination was not an attack on concrete and steel. It was not an attack on the United States, or its policies, perceived or otherwise. It was an attack on everything that every decent person, no matter what their citizenship or political ideological belief holds dear – the right to live their life, to be a person within our capabilities. That is the abomination.

That is why we, as the human race, must put a stop to this organized conspiracy to destroy the human spirit. There are things that go beyond politics, beliefs. You may not agree with the United States – do you think I agree with every decision ? Of course not. That is why countries have elections. However, does any agreement/ disagreement justify such actions? Of course not.

Some say that we should, in responding, be careful not to offend countries who may be sensitive if we – and I say we, as a Canadian – apprehend the perpetrators. To that, I say if a country would be sensitive if such an abomination is dealt with, then my concern for their sensitivity runs cold. A criminal is a criminal is a criminal.

What about the impact on International Law, security, and so forth ? One obvious result will be a great coordination of monitoring, both internally and at points of entry between countries. Greater cooperation may result in sovereignty issues, but that may be price to win the war against the abomination.

Another result will be restrictions on the rights of the individual. That has been a major issue in the American body politic, where the individual is paramount. Yet a compromise will need to occur. Note that it is not unusual for countries, in war time, to invoke special powers. However, the unique nature of this conflict, where the enemy may be amorphous, may be hidden, may require these powers. At the same time, paranoia can be destructive and serve no purpose. However, vigilance and a sense of the reality of the threats we face must occur.

There was a French movie made many years ago called ‘The Grand Illusion’. That movie talked about World War One. May I suggest that one of the problems that lead to the United States being caught sleeping at the switch was a Grand Illusion – an Illusion that, despite mounting evidence, there were conspirators at work – people who entered the country, blended in, yet were openly meeting, planning, taking flying lessons – even though these people were on terrorist watch lists. The Illusion was that people are inherently good, fed by an almost legendary view that if someone came to a country, it was for a better life. And the vast majority of people fall into that category. However, when people are on international terrorist watch lists, alarm bells should have gone off. Why they didn’t will of course be the source of much investigation. However, the aforementioned Illusion may have played a part.

Another disturbing aspect was the feeble response by the U.S. Military. Yesterday, Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S. Defense Secretary, tried to explain the failure to react quickly, as ‘that was not our mission, our goal’. Amazing that a defense against an attack on the Economic Base of the U.S. economy would not be considered part of their mission. True, a country has to protect military targets – but a key economic structure should qualify as such. There had been warnings for years of these attacks. Yet even a military target, the Pentagon, was hit. So something clearly went wrong with U.S. Military thinking.

However, that investigation is for the future. What we need to deal with is the personal shock, the reactions subsequent, the need to regain our equilibrium. Note, I do not say, as some politicians have, that ‘everything will be back to normal’. That is impossible. What we need to do is realize the void in Lower Manhattan is likewise in ourselves, and as Lower Manhattan will, rebuild ourselves and the world into a better place. To do so will involve much pain, much grief.

Yet it has to, and will be, done.

My condolences to all the victims. And that includes all of us.

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