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--> --> This new world is not about bravery America is doing a lot of things right, and needs to be lauded for it. The search and rescue efforts following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center have been nothing short of heroic. In a time when American heroes have slipped from grace, a new kind of noble spirit has risen from the ashes of New York City. Firefighters. Police officers. Emergency medical personnel. Clergy. A mayor. President Bush has withheld his rage, opting for stern resolve. There were many who expected to awake Sept. 12 to U.S. carpet bombing of Afghanistan. It didn't happen. A moment of crisis exposes the human soul. Bush has found his, and we have seen it. He is up to the task. We have beefed up America's security, and there's certainly more to come. The threat of a loss of individual rights and civil liberties has been a point of concern. None have been sacrificed. We are actively pursuing a coalition of nations against terrorism. We have attracted some odd bedfellows, but the confederacy is growing. There is a concerted effort to choke off the money source of the perpetrators. International bankers are lining up to assist. All of these things have been a positive force. But none of it will work if we don't also include in our post-America-under-attack regimen, the willingness to examine why we are hated so. There are no weapons, no resolve, no economic constraints, no security force, no military power that could ever abolish hatred. The words of Moussa Abu Marzouk - a leader of the militant Islamic Hamas - are chilling. "America should think about the hatred that people feel for it ... When people watch the killing of Palestinians with American weapons, American support and American cover, what can you expect?" Abu Marzouk also points to U.S. sanctions against Iraq and Libya. "This is a weapon that punished the masses not the governments." As we enter this frightening new world, we must revisit all our principles. We must be a force for peace, even over righteousness. We as Americans must come to realize that, as we certainly have enemies, we are also one. It is a terrifying new world. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing