HomeHomeOctober 2001
In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, we’ve been through several stages of grief--shock, disbelief, anger, sadness, and then back again. How can we deal with the immense sorrow and anguish we feel for the families and friends of those victimized by the events of that terrible day? How do we cope with the endless pornography of violence we witnessed via the media?
What relief is there for millions of Americans suffering from the anxiety, sleeplessness, and nightmares generated by these events? What reassurance can we give our loved ones, our children, and even ourselves in a world as uncertain as this one? There are no easy answers.
In the months to come, healing from our collective grief will surely not be linear. This tragedy is not something from which we’ll recover in two or three weeks’ time, despite media reports about America quickly rebuilding. It’s been estimated that seven out of ten of us suffer from some form of depression, and that could be a conservative estimate. We need time and a lot of patience.
In the U.S., we have lived through an era of unprecedented prosperity, yet many of us have been unaware of the poverty and suffering of the world beyond our borders. Our media, a mirror of our national consciousness, have deliberately cut back on the quantity and quality of international news stories we have consumed in the last several years. From O.J. to Clinton to Condit, we had grown used to the endless scandals allegedly perpetrated by powerful male celebrities and politicians. Since the attacks, we have been left scrambling to uncover the reasons why, as we search for clues in the faces of the terrorists, and wonder how these men could commit such outrageous crimes against humanity. Who is ultimately responsible for the terror and who is to blame for the end of our innocence? Again, we face difficult questions and complex answers as we search for the truth.
And, we have no idea what awaits us as we enter this "war on terror"--especially as we nervously watch the many aftereffects that have begun to ripple through our national life, our culture, our economy. Though millions of American families originated from other countries and cultural traditions, our national religion has been work, and the resulting rewards that our labor brings us. Paid work is what defines us today, as well as what our ancestors knew would bring them a better life.
The stories of the nearly 6,000 people who went to work on the morning of September 11th, and disappeared have shaken us to our core. In addition to the sorrow we feel for the missing and dead in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania and their families, we can’t help but wonder about our own lives. God forbid, if we went to work one day or stepped on a plane and didn’t make it home, what kind of legacy would we leave behind? Have we lived fully? Have we loved enough? What relationships need to be repaired? What dreams are left unfulfilled...and why?
It has been a painful time of national and individual self-examination and reflection. That is one of the reasons why we haven’t been getting on airplanes in the last three weeks. It isn’t so much that we’re afraid to fly--we just want to stay close to hearth and home right now. We don’t feel like working--we just want to be with our loved ones. Work will not comfort us now in this "dark night of the soul" that we are all facing. We are reeling from a collective "wake-up" call--and we’ve had a short time to digest the meaning of it all. In our workaholic, money-loving, materialistic, celebrity-worshipping culture, how will these events change us for the better? And are we capable of changing our entire culture?
There is reason for optimism. We’ve seen an unprecedented level of gratitude toward the relief workers in New York and Washington, as well as a cohesiveness in our collective support of the American government and our leadership. We have also seen an outpouring of love, affection, and money go to the families in need. This is not surprising, given the history of American philanthropy. We are a generous people.
While there have been dozens of post-mortems on the infamous "American Spirit" and what will become of it, I am hopeful that during the difficult times ahead we can hold tight to the democratic values which we cherish, particularly the right to freedom of speech. We must safeguard our freedoms--not sacrifice them because we are frightened. In our pursuit of justice for the victims of these terrible attacks, we must not become the enemy that we have learned to hate.
The world has always and will always contain both good and evil. It reflects our flawed human souls--the light and dark sides of our natures. It is up to us to keep the good alive in our hearts and to understand and acknowledge the "dark" side in each one of us. It’s easy to hate others, particularly those we don’t know or understand. It’s extremely difficult to keep love and compassion alive in a cynical world.
As author Leo Tolstoy once said, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." In the light of our collective wake-up call, we can put our energies into the causes we believe in, and into solving the social problems that desperately need our attention--and there are many. Our financial contributions make a difference, to be sure, but we need to give more; we need to give of ourselves. Catholic theologian and author John Powell offers these thoughts in his book, Unconditional Love (1978, Argus Communications, Allen, Texas):
"Giving the gift of myself in love leaves me with a deep and lasting satisfaction of having done something good with my life. I live with the sweet memory of having contributed a gift of love to the lives of others. Likewise I am left with the sense of having used well the gifts which God has invested in me. Love takes time, demands a history of giving and receiving, laughing and crying, living and dying. It never promises instant gratification, only ultimate fulfillment. Love means believing in someone, something. It supposes a willingness to struggle, to work, to suffer, and to join in the rejoicing. I doubt that there has ever been one recorded case of deep and lasting fulfillment reported by a person whose basic mind-set and only question was, ‘What am I getting out of this?’"Author Kahlil Gibran reminds us that "You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."
At this point in time, both collectively and individually, we have a golden opportunity to change our lives. The world needs our energy, our hope and our love. It is a way of keeping not just our "American spirit" alive, but our human spirit alive as well.
Teresa
Resources, news, and interesting tidbits:
Where can you learn more about the events of September 11th? Yahoo and Google are two of the many sites offering comprehensive links to news sources, and information about relief agencies.
Scambusters, TruthOrFiction.com, and the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal(CSICOP) offer a wealth of information on scams, fraud, hoaxes, and rumors found on the Internet. Unfortunately, there have been many unfounded rumors in the weeks following the terrorist attacks.
Do you need some inspiration? Saturday, October 27th is National Make a Difference Day, an opportunity for Americans to help others. And in Minnesota, "Give Back Day" will be held October 28th.
October is also Disability Awareness Month. In addition, "Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century" will be observed on Wednesday, October 24, 2001.
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this year, October 19th is National Mammography Day. Breast cancer claims over 40,000 lives each year. Unfortunately, my mother was one of them. We listed these organizations last October in WITNE, and it is our privilege to list them again.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is one of the most influential organizations in America---and proof positive that one woman can make a significant difference in the lives of millions. Nancy Brinker started her foundation to honor the memory of her sister, who died of breast cancer. Among its many activities, this worthy foundation also sponsors the "Race for the Cure" held in many cities around the U.S. every year.
Lee is once again sponsoring National Denim Day on Friday, October 5th to support breast cancer research.
The mission of Avon corporation’s breast cancer crusade is "is funding access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer."The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was founded by Evelyn Lauder, and has a mission of "addressing a crucial lack of funding for clinical and genetic research." Their goal is to "bring lifesaving discoveries from the laboratory to the bedside of every woman suffering from this disease." They can be reached at (646) 497-2600.
Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization offers support and advocacy for patients, families and friends. Their toll-free number is 1-800-221-2141.
The National Breast Cancer Coalition has one mission: to eradicate breast cancer through action and advocacy. They also offer a "Make Breast Cancer History" campaign, which encourages voters to support the political candidates who support breast cancer research funding. They can be reached in Washington, DC, at (202) 296-7477.
The National Cancer Institute offers information on their Cancernet web page.
The American Cancer Society offers a breast cancer resource page.
San Francisco's Breast Cancer Fund has a mission to end breast cancer and to make sure the best medical care, support services and information are available to all women. Among their many activities are an "obsessed with breasts" ad campaign, and a touching breast cancer. They can be reached at 1-800-487-0492
Stanford University offers a list of resources via their Community Breast Health Project.
The mission of the Celebrating Life Foundation is to "educate the African American community and women of color about the risk of breast cancer, to encourage advancements in the early detection and treatment, and to improve survival rates among these women."
Unfortunately, breast cancer is democratic and can affect men as well as women. The John W. Nick Foundation’s mission is "to help eradicate breast cancer in men and women through education, prevention, early detection, state of the art treatment, and to provide support groups, and services to cancer patients and their families." The organization honors the memory of Mr. Nick, who died of a disease he didn't know he could get: male breast cancer.
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