Don’t let this happen again

We have witnessed history in the making; not only the event, but also the catalyst of policy changes that are sure to come. Probably most of us were glued to the radio or TV Tuesday every free second we had, partaking in the ongoing event that was the worst terrorist attack in North American (and possibly the world’s?) history. It is now painfully obvious that we have all dived head-first into the new globalized world. No more can North America feign “civilized world” superiority, or flippantly dismiss such senseless losses of life as “oh, that kind of stuff only happens over there.” What can we learn from this? What happens now? The extent of the damage and loss of life is unfathomable. Possibly thousands of people are dead: in the planes, in the buildings, in the city blocks surrounding the World Trade Centre, in the Pentagon. Also, imagine the havoc that this must throw the economic world into, as one of the leading financial districts goes up in smoke. Both these tragedies will take long to repair and heal. Even more long-lasting is the fear and loss of innocence each one of us now has. Don’t tell me it doesn’t exist. Embassies, consulates, and government buildings, both in the U.S. and Canada, evacuated. The scare of a suspicious package on Parliament Hill. Worried people clogging the phone lines with calls to their loved ones in the U.S., who might not even live in the same states as the attacks, to make sure they’re okay. Here at Concordia, it was and will be the talk of the hallways. The shuttle buses were tuned to live coverage from the radio. A few even talked about school closure. But the scariest thing is how jet-liners could so easily be hijacked, and how such towering examples of modern engineering, the “ultimate image of industrialization” as one of this paper’s editors put it, could so quickly tumble to dust and destruction. How easy would it be for this to happen again? That’s something for the policy-makers to answer. Now the other shoe has dropped. Thankfully, the Cold War passed us by without any cities nuked, but in this recent age of activism, righteous causes, and terrorism, we have not been so lucky. It starts with hijackings and hostages. Then car bombs in the basement of the WTC eight years ago and gas attacks in Japanese metros. Threats of available anthrax, nuclear weapons on the black-markets, and dubious border crossings from two winters ago. The media has been warning that something like this would happen, and it has. Like it or not, we’re in it now. So now for the future. Very quickly, President Bush promised to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice. U.S. congressmen and senators were screaming bloody-murder on CNN, basically saying “I told you so” and demanding retribution. Everyone’s glares immediately looked towards the Middle East, and Tuesday evening bombs started falling in Afganistan. Here in Canada, the fear of American retaliation seems just as scary is the original attack itself. I feel if at all possible, justice should be served, but that’s it. Believe me, speaking for someone who woke up Tuesday to see his city of birth in ruin and smoke, and who still hasn’t been able to get in touch with his brother and sister-in-law who live in Queens, vengeance is a very high emotion. But what’s even stronger is the feeling that this must never happen again. If one positive thing is to come out of this tragedy, it should be a lesson learned on how to deal with others in a mature fashion and with respect. The “eye for an eye” approach is a never-ending downward spiral, consuming everythng until one or both of sides of a fight are completely dead. This is a strong lessson and message not only to the U.S. and Canada in their international affairs, but also to Concordia students. We cannot go there. For months Concordia has been divided by heated emotions concerning race and religion. Both sides are right, both are wrong. It doesn’t matter. When will it end? If anything, the WTC tragedy shows what happens when anger and hatred is allowed to grow and fester for too long. It’s time to grow up. It’s time to move on from the sandbox and start behaving like adults.