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Inkspot
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Greetings
from the President... by Teresa Herrera It is from a place of great transformation, I write this article… it is the third day after the events that have impacted us, our nation, the world. There is a huge loss which we each feel since 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Great loss as a result of these attacks on our soil. Loss of life is, of course, the greatest. To those who have lost their lives, to those who remain to hold them in memory, to all of us… I send my deepest sympathies and prayers. I want each of us, at this juncture in reading this article, to please take a moment of silence to pray/meditate/contemplate.
Thank you. As I contemplate these events and the losses incurred, I also feel the loss of a way of life, of innocence, and of naivete. We have been brought, reluctantly, to a place of joining the world community. Of experiencing that which most other nations have experienced. That of having blood shed on our native soil. That of being with the fear of the unknown. We have been fortunate not to have had to live with these realities, not to have had to go to sleep at night with fear of not waking up in the morning. We have lived in a state of non-threat for many many years. And now this way of life is over. I say all this not to provoke, not to scare, not to depress. I say this because I see it as the truth. There is no right or wrong, it just what is so. We can do all we can to ensure something like this does not occur again. We can incur on our society the strictest forms of control. Yet, still, there is no controlling the uncontrollable. So, with this realization, brings states of frustration, of fear, of rage. We feel the need to do something! Thus, the necessity for our rage to be satisfied, for revenge to be extracted, for those responsible to be eradicated… these are also things that I see as the truth. My concern is that we take the utmost care and consideration in HOW we satisfy these needs. Not that we consider whether or not to proceed with these necessities, but rather how. I can only hope and pray that those in positions of leadership, those who are in positions to represent us and our response do what is necessary to ensure that those responsible are made to pay for what they have done. And, yes, I hold great fear that a full-out world war is begun. I feel there would be no winners if this were to occur… just millions and millions of losers. We are on the brink of actions that will impact us and the world forevermore. Let us not forget this. Let us recognize the great significance of the decisions that we make during this time. Let us ask ourselves how much we are willing to sacrifice as we extract our revenge. Let us realize that a loss of our way of life is exactly what these terrorists are striving to achieve. Let us be patient and methodical in how we bring those responsible for these horrendous acts to justice. For myself, I know I will never be the same. The events of September 11 have changed my life forever. They have changed all of our lives, whether we fully realize this fact or not. It remains to be seen to what extent this impact will be felt. What has been critical for me is to take the time and space necessary to reflect on these events. I will never forget and I hope that we, as individuals, as a country, and as part of the world community do what is necessary to ensure we do not ever forget what has occurred. And to do what is necessary to ensure that we work towards resolution, not exacerbation. It is critical, at this time, to do self- reflection, to speak with others, to build community ties. And, to not react without thought. I had intended for this article to explain more of decisions made at the Board's strategic planning session in August. However, it is more critical to dedicate this article and this newsletter to the remembrance of those whose lives have been affected by the events of September 11. In essence, to all of us. Be safe, take good care, live life to its fullest.
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