By Innocent no more

About the generation “that knew no wars.” The generation that was being bored by the evidence of the Holocaust and certain facts of World War II being dropped from Japanese history books. Now they know. Never again will they be innocents.

Viewing the attack on New York and Washington, D.C., has made them kin to the rest of us. The rest of us, who still remember the wars and interventions of the last 50 years. The trauma they feel is the trauma we felt. The fear they feel is the fear we felt. The convictions that we will survive and learn from this are the convictions we felt.

I, for one, wish you never had to see for yourselves.

I, for one, hope that together we do grow wiser.

Welcome to the club!

Sharon BayLos Altos

Let’s not overreact

Our national security forces have been combating terrorism for decades with many successes and some terrible failures. Reasonable defensive and military actions will continue to be taken to reduce our risk.

My primary concern today is that we do not overreact. We must not allow our free and open society to be jeopardized by the overzealous. Locally, let’s be extra kind to our neighbors who happen to have national origin and/or religion in common with the terrorists. These people are innocent and equally traumatized by this tragedy.

King LearLos Altos

Time for military action is now

To elected representatives:

I speak for my family when I say that we are horrified by the events of Sept. 11 and appreciate your efforts and support for the President of the United States.

The events of last Tuesday were the culmination of failed US policies, both foreign and security. I call upon you, no I demand, that you take the necessary actions to ensure that events like this never occur again.

For too long the United States has not addressed terrorism in a forceful and pre-emptive measure. That time is over. The United States must act.

Here are actions that I expect you to take.

Unshackle the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies from the restrictive laws that have hampered it from collecting and acting upon the human intelligence that is necessary to prevent these types of actions.

Overhaul and tighten immigration laws and their enforcement in this country. For too long the United States has allowed foreign nationals to reside in this country with few mechanisms to find and expel those who are here illegally. We must find and expel people who are here illegally, and we must change our laws so that they do not receive protections.

Nations that provide aid and comfort to terrorist organizations or that sponsor terrorist organizations have to be considered at war with the United States, and dealt with appropriately. This means nations such as Libya, Iran, Iraq and Syria have to cooperate fully and openly in this war, or suffer the full wrath of the U.S. military.

We must act pre-emptively against terrorism, not reactively. The United States needs to change its policies and reinforce these policies with decisive and continued military actions against not just known terrorist activities, but suspected activities.

It is time for the people of the world to choose which side of this struggle they are on and to show their convictions with actions, not just words. The time for cold steel and resolute action has come. I expect you to do your duty to protect the good people of the United States. God Bless America.

Mark WarrenLos Altos

Thoughts on 9-1-1, and a prayer for peace

I know Sept. 11 may be being called “Twin Towers” Day. Ironically, all the emergencies had one thing in common, dialing 911 from air and ground on the date 9-11-01.

I hope in your headlines you will consider it was not just Twin Towers Day but a state of emergency for the nation and across all seas. This was 911 Day to the nth power.

This event is shattering to many lives and costly and disruptive to the productivity of our lives.

Why do these disasters occur? I cannot answer nor can I control.

My first thought was of prayer for all. I sent e-mails to all my friends. My two thoughts are to heighten security with who we allow into our country and their length of stay and the jobs we allow them to get.

Why does Canada not have these problems? Australia did not allow the refugees.

We are a free country yet maybe it is time to keep a closer look on how big we let it become and keep our home base clean. I am an international relocation Consultant and not sure where I will be locating persons now, here or elsewhere perhaps.

For now, I think airplanes and airports need hidden security cameras in the plane, on the ground and under the maintenance area for recording all actions of the day.

Also airplanes should have bolted shut, electronically censored doors between pilots and crew which only the pilots or the crew can open with special key and password. One agent on all planes on all flights, undercover crew member for telecommunications with control towers and filming of who is on the plane and in an emergency can send recording to the control towers.

Those allowed to work on the maintenance and ground crews under the plane should have officials, rotating to check the planes so nothing is allowed to be placed in the food trays or bathrooms for terrorists to locate once upon the plane.

Who knows who these guys are? I hope and pray that one day when we find out, they will be punished and if it is a country they are representing, we unite with the other nations and find what we need from them elsewhere!

This is my prayer I sent out yesterday immediately learning of the tragedy:

Subject: Peace

Sending love and prayer across the nation and all seas …

Hope is powerful and so is faith.

Fear holds power when you let it. Faith can conquer fear.

Wishing you faith and strength today.

Kerry Thede

Options Resource and Career Center

Los Altos