Obama letter published September 19th 2001

[5711-Marine]

From the New Yorker

Obama’s response to the event was published on September 19th in the Hyde Park Herald:


Even as I hope for some measure of peace and comfort to the bereaved families, I must also hope that we as a nation draw some measure of wisdom from this tragedy. Certain immediate lessons are clear, and we must act upon those lessons decisively. We need to step up security at our airports. We must reexamine the effectiveness of our intelligence networks. And we must be resolute in identifying the perpetrators of these heinous acts and dismantling their organizations of destruction.

We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.

We will have to make sure, despite our rage, that any U.S. military action takes into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad. We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe—children not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and within our own shores.

[adymond]

From the New Yorker

Obama’s response to the event was published on September 19th in the Hyde Park Herald:


Even as I hope for some measure of peace and comfort to the bereaved families, I must also hope that we as a nation draw some measure of wisdom from this tragedy. Certain immediate lessons are clear, and we must act upon those lessons decisively. We need to step up security at our airports. We must reexamine the effectiveness of our intelligence networks. And we must be resolute in identifying the perpetrators of these heinous acts and dismantling their organizations of destruction.

We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.

We will have to make sure, despite our rage, that any U.S. military action takes into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad. We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe—children not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and within our own shores.

Bold is total bullshit. I was reading this thinking "Wow I might not have anything to say about this. He is making sense." Then I saw those lines. I wish I could find the interview of the former PLO terrorist from around the time he was trying to speak at Princeton. I don't remember if it was Hannity or Beck that ran it. The guy laid it out perfectly. It has 0 to do with the foreign policy of our country or poverty. It has to do with hate. It is easier to instill hate in the poor, but if you make them rich they still hate.

[5711-Marine]

Same reaction on my part. The original I received had some emphasis added, I removed it to let the readers here determine what they thought.

Was waiting to see who if any among us would defend the "we need to empathize with them" theory...

That same Bull shit argument is used by some liberals with regard to criminals. He only turned to {insert crime here} because of poverty.

[Pector55]

Bold is total bullshit. I was reading this thinking "Wow I might not have anything to say about this. He is making sense." Then I saw those lines. I wish I could find the interview of the former PLO terrorist from around the time he was trying to speak at Princeton. I don't remember if it was Hannity or Beck that ran it. The guy laid it out perfectly. It has 0 to do with the foreign policy of our country or poverty. It has to do with hate. It is easier to instill hate in the poor, but if you make them rich they still hate.

Watch www.obsessionthemovie.com and note who the speakers are. I blows Obama's theory away.

[adymond]

Watch www.obsessionthemovie.com and note who the speakers are. I blows Obama's theory away.

+1.

Great movie. A MUST watch. I have posted a few things about it recently. I got a free copy on 9/9. Don't know how I got it, but watched it the night it came in.