Dehumanising

Just who are those terrorists we are killing?
We can demonise the enemy
until we have no compassion left.
We can justify mass destruction
and in some convoluted way
absolve ourselves from sin
from breaking the commandment
of all faiths,
"Thou shalt not kill."

We can justify dropping bombs
on cities filled with innocents
and yet call others terrorists
How sad has our humanity become
Huddled in fear,
Doing to others
What we are terrified
Of having done to us

-Joanna Terpstra
November 2nd 2001

 

If we are to remember the tragedy of September 11, 2001, let us also remember the tragedy of August 6 and 9, 1945. In 1949 the Japanese dedicated Hiroshima as an international shrine of peace. We are all responsible for war and we are all responsible for peace.