The lessons we teach kids

The President quotes the Bible in an address to the nation showing through words that he is a religious man. Would too then an act of forgiveness be showing the world through action that he is a religious man? Would too then an act of forgiveness, supported by the people of the United States, show the world that our strength as a nation is not that of military might, but that of moral integrity? \nMy heart cries each morning listening to the news on the radio -- hearing the sorrow and pain of people who will never reunite with their loved ones. My heart cries thinking about the fear the people of Afghanistan feel as they wait, day by day, presumably preparing for their death with the words of our elected officials in their ears, "I say to our enemies, we are coming. God may show you mercy. We will not." -- Senator John McCain, R-Ariz.\nWe try to teach our children to forgive. What are we teaching them now? Can we teach them to stand tall? To bear injustice without retaliating? Can we show the world that as a nation we are bigger than the people who hurt us? We live in a beautiful country. For this we are fortunate. Are we to jeopardize this beauty by acting outward, rather than to look inward to that which we may change or how we might grow in the light of obvious differences and misunderstandings we have with other people of the world?\nAs unthinkable as the events of Sept. 11 were, these acts were of individuals that feel as we do now.\nOur feelings of acceptance toward casualties of war are equivalent to that of any suicide militant. These feelings stem from frustration and feelings of injustice. Should we not ask ourselves how rational human beings were pushed to this level of drastic action? \nIs the answer not close at hand as we reflect on our own feelings? I fear that the tragic loss, pain and suffering experienced by all will not be viewed as an opportunity to grow and to model our moral integrity to the world, but rather viewed as an opportunity to weakly display our military, economic, and political might.