IP: One Action Taken

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: Gene Spafford <spaf () cerias purdue edu>
> Subject: FYI
>
> Your own mileage will vary
> http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/homes/spaf/action.html
>
> If you think there is some value in this, feel free to pass it along to 
> friends.
> -

One Action Taken

The events last week certainly have changed our world. Many people are 
still in shock, and many asking "What can we do?"

Well, there are some things we can all do as individuals. Watch our 
rhetoric about "war" and "revenge." Seek out some varied sources of news 
(including non-US outlets, when possible). Realize that anger has its 
place, but that it can also lead one into rash and unfortunate actions. And 
understand that the actions of a few terrorists do not necessarily occur 
with the consent of the people who live around their home bases. If prayer 
is something within your world view, then prayer for those departed, and 
for those left behind would be good, as would prayers for peace and tolerance.

For myself, after reading a great deal of news and speculation, thinking 
about the issues at hand, and chatting with several friends, I decided to 
set down some of my thoughts in letters to my Senators and U.S. House 
Representative. These are my personal concerns, and they are not expressed 
as part of any of my professional roles.

If you want to do something, then I would encourage you to write your own 
letters, on your own matters of concern. Rather than blast lots of notes 
around the Internet, make your concerns known (whatever they may be) to 
your elected representatives. (If you aren't a U.S. citizen, this isn't 
really an option, but maybe you can voice your opinion to someone in your 
own government.)
To find the contact information for your representatives, visit the 
official WWW sites and follow the links for information about member home 
offices or contacting members. There are separate sites for the Senate and 
House.

If you are interested, here are the letters I sent to Senator Richard 
Lugar, Senator Evan Bayh, and Representative Brian Kerns. Feel free to 
either agree or disagree, but if you send your own letters, please don't 
crib too much -- letters that look like they are variations on a form 
letter don't get read as carefully, and our Congress-critters do sometimes 
compare notes on what they get.
Peace
gene spafford, 9/21/01



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