September 11, 2001

	A few extremely random thoughts on the disasters of September 11, 2001
	In times of crisis such as we have just witnessed, many people naturally question why God would allow this evil to happen. It is human beings who, through their own free will, commit evil, not God. These attacks reflect an absence of God, a twisted and deliberate choice to pursue evil and destroy life. When horrific events such as these acts of terrorism take place, the minds and hearts of good people are raised to God, seeking His guidance, asking His protection, invoking the consolation which only He can give. The presence of God is clearly displayed when people recognize the sufferings of others and are moved, not merely to sympathy but also to action. We can imagine the hope and comfort felt by those suffering from this tragedy as their fellow Americans did all they could in rescue efforts, the donation of blood, and all the provision of unconditional support of which the magnanimous human spirit is capable. While the murderous attacks proved the evil of which human beings are capable, the depth of compassion shown by those who worked to relieve the sufferings of the victims was evidenced in a far greater manner. --Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia Pastoral letter of September 14-15, 2001
	I guess I wouldn't be a good Usonian if I didn't fly a couple of flags at the moment. I was in New Jersey, visiting some of the nieces and nephews when it happened. No one in my family was hurt, and I wasn't greatly inconvenienced when it happened. I just had to extend my trip by a few days, spend the night in St. Louis, MO (which has lots of good stuff to see, fortunately) and come perilously close to my first case of "air rage" when I was trying to get a flight the rest of the way home. But, I'm still trying to sort through the events and the effect they've had on all of us. In a perfect world, the terrorists and those that financed and aided them in this evil plot would all be reduced to one-twentieth of their size and transported to houses containing hungry cats. On the other hand, I can't abide the sort of patriotism that shouts insults (or worse) at good Allah-fearing Muslims, or for that matter Sikhs. Or folks who just happen to be swarthy and accented. I've taken a great deal of comfort from Cardinal Bevilacqua's words quoted above. If you'd like to see the entire text of his message, and his other statements on the subject, click here. But most of all, enjoy the everyday things in life, the ones that keep going no matter what. Love your friends and family, and let them know it. Do something nice for someone.
	And now, on to your regularly scheduled web site......