Thank you to everyone who have responded to this page so far. This site was created in haste in the days immediately following the terroist attack on the United States. Our focus now is the healing of our collective psyche from these events. I am in the process of re-orienting Liberty and Freedom to act as a space for people to express their personal experience of this tragedy and as a lasting monument to how we all were touched by these events. I will continue to provide links to relevent information regarding the on-going military action. However, these space is dedicated to peace, to tolerance, and to the values which were attacked that fateful day, and those we are now defending: Liberty and Freedom for all people. To contribute EMAIL me you art/writing. Thank You.

Like all people in the civilized world I was stunned to witness the terrifying attack on the United States and on all human freedom September 11, 2001. The grief and rage at the needless human suffering is unbearable without a suitable release, and for myself, I have chosen to begin this website as a forum for the resilience of the human spirit with the hope that a more peaceful and understanding world will emerge from this our defence of world human rights. For an excellent interactive animation of the details of the attack CLICK HERE.

There is a covenant between all living things, and at this crucial and difficult time we must come together not only as allies with a common enemy, but also as a world nation of spiritual brothers and sisters so as to temper our defence of our freedom with both wisdom and mercy. We must learn to accept the loss we have collectively suffered, and heal our shock at this most terrible breach of our freedoms.

In the coming days, weeks, and longer, we as human being will be subject to many conflicting notions about appropriate action in defence of our freedoms: social, cultural, political and religious. I am committed to providing an on-going independent commentary of the events as they unfold, in addition to providing a forum for all world citizens to contribute their ideas, opinions, or dissent.

I will strive to provide helpful updated links to the most useful information on the internet surrounding these events, and would encourage all my community to forward information for inclusion on this website.

I also encourage everyone to express their own feelings in their own way by publishing their own website. Many themed websites are possible depending on your interests, and I will link to any independent sites providing help for our collective understanding of these events.

K.H,-editor EMAIL ME HERE

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SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2001

I am an average person who was struck personally like so many others, as I witnessed the plane crash into the world trade centre. A friend of mine worked there, and thankfully, was out of the office on the fateful day. But for a time the anxiety I felt at unknowing made this psychologically a profound event for me. I thank God for the safety of Rick, who is happily together with wife Daphne, and son Eric.

Like for so many others, the images of destruction and suffering created fear, hatred, anger, resentment and uncertainty in me. As a way for me to understand these events I am making this webpage. We have all undergone a terrible shock and we must treat ourselves and others with respect and understanding while we process these events. To learn more about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, CLICK HERE. One can suffer from PTSD even if you witnessed these events on Television.

This is even for more difficult for children who seek to understand these events as much as we do. Parents and teachers have a sensitive task to help them come to terms with this disaster. Here are some professional tips and support:

Quick Tips for Parents
* Children need comforting and frequent reassurance that they’re safe make sure they get it.
* Be honest and open about the disaster.
* Encourage children to express their feelings through talking, drawing or playing.
* Try to maintain your daily routines as much as possible.
* For more information call the National Mental Health Association 1-800-969-NMHA (6642)

ANGER

Once the shock sank in, the sorrow, the implications, of this attack, we as humans, responding to the needless sacrifice of our brothers and sisters, got angry.

Already only a couple of days after the attack this graphic appears on the internet expressing the profound desire for retribution. This reaction is helpful in our coping, faced with what Mr. Bush refers to as an "invisible enemy", we feel helpless without an object for our hostility and anger.

We contitnue to pray for everyone, especially our leaders, not to react in anger but to act with wisdom in the necessary defence of our long won human freedoms.

We must ensure that our emotions do not get the better of us in treating muslim or arab friends as if they all were our enemies. The exercise of human tolerance and freedom are the values we are defending here, and so we must act with the highest respect and regard for everyone.

This is the face of the man who is apparently behind these attacks. He is a radical Islamic fundamentalist who is trying to start a Holy War (J'had) against our collective civilization. This man is not sanctioned by in any way either the holy text of Islam (Koran, which accepts Jesus Christ as one of the holiest men ever) or the people who practise this religion of peace and acceptance today. Undoubtedly his actions must be seen as those of a madman.

Islam is a religion whose followers are not terrorists but pious and humble servants of their beliefs and express the values which all people's would consider religious. Please do not mistake these holy people for the insane man pictured above.

RESPONSE

Mr. Bush has so far expressed a powerful and compassionate leadership. As we await his plan over this weekend we offer our prayers for those workers who continue in the resuce efforts, for the families of victims for whom we hope their prayers will be answered, and for our leaders to act with wisdom and ethics.

A full two-thirds of Americans support Mr. Bush in a poll published Sunday 16, 2001.

Read thr President's words of support at the White House website. CLICK HERE.

For another site with excellent links and resources CLICK HERE for Noble Eagle

More to come as the story unfolds. If you have anything you would like to add or if you would like me to link to your site please EMAIL ME.

NYC firefighters and police had such huge losses this week. The heartbreaking stories of heroism and commitment in the face of disaster stand as examples of the best that humanity can offer. While there is no final number of how many were lost, it is likely in the hundreds. Please help out the families of these heroes by making a donation to their association. CLICK HERE

The site has only been up one day and already I have two great contributions.

Thanks to my father who mailed this graphic it to me this morning along with these words: "I can only express my gratitude for your site. Through yourself and others like you can we come to grips with what is happening to or world. It is very much different today than on Sept. 10. Tthe 11th will live on in the memory of those who died for generations to come." Thanks Dad.

Please email me anything you feel should be posted in this chronicle.

EMAIL ME HERE

Glad to get this email this morning too, and happy to post these sentiments from Toronto and from the Dalai Lama:

I think your site is great. Here is a quote from The Dalai Lama's
prayer "Words of Truth". If you could also put a link to : www.tibet.com there is a letter posted from the Dalai Lama to the United States and to Mayor Guiliani. Thanks for doing this.

B.H. Toronto, ON, Canada. Sept 16/01

Humble sentient beings, tormented
by sufferings without cease,
Completely suppressed by seemingly endless
and terribly intense, negative deeds,
May all their fears from unbearable war, famine,
and disease be pacified,
To freely breathe an ocean of happiness and well-being.
And particularly the pious people
of the Land of Snows who, through various means,
Are mercilessly destroyed by barbaric hordes
on the side of darkness,
Kindly let the power of your compassion arise,
To quickly stem the flow of blood and tears.

It is no suprise that the markets stumbled today after the uncertainty of the weeks evernts. This is something that we will have to watch for the months to come as the military situation becomes clearer.

Monday also brought calls for changes to the investigative powers of the FBI and CIA to aid in rooting out terrorists. We must all be cautious that we do not give away the very rights we are trying to protect.

Also stories of attacks against Arab LOOKING people in America. Please use discretion and common sense. Fear can make people do things they will regret later. If you are building up hostility toward people because of their enthnicity, go bowling or something to get rid of those feelings before it is too late.

Mostly today is a day of waiting, as Pakistani officials send envoys to Afganistan to try and make a deal for bin Laden.

These words arrived from a friend in Florida today:

"Bin Laden is Robin Hood of the modern era; he is supported by desperate disenfranchised people who are fighting the Sherif of Nottingham. I cannot forgive what the son of a bitch did, BUT he does look exactly like an Englishman named Robin Hood, who looked, to his people in those desperatedays, like the Saviour!"

"We MUST understand the liabilities and truth ABOUT OUR INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS THAT HAVE CREATED THIS PROBLEM. We ALL have a very serious
responsibilty for the problem; I hope Canadians, like you, and your viewers,
understand that the USA means the best and is frequemtly too stupid to be tolerated!"

"We MUST find a way to peace thru this problem, and not launch another Bazra
Desert Storm murder scene, in the name of American patriotic insanity! I
love Canada and pray your wonderful, intelligent people will help us find
our way to REASON! THIS is the time for FAITH & TRUTH and loving
UNDERSTANDING and NOT American Politcal BULLSHIT!"

M.P.----Florida, USA

EMAIL HERE TO CONTRIBUTE OR SIGN THE GUESTBOOK OR ADD A DISCUSSION THREAD

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. MAT 7:3-5.

JERRY FALWELL BLAMES GAYS/OTHERS FOR TERRORIST ATTACK

Thursday morning, September 13, in one of his rare guest appearances on Pat Robertson's 700 Club, Falwell placed "...a lot of the blame [for the destructive hijackings]" on the Federal Courts "for throwing God out of the public square" and on his usual list of those "who have tried to secularize America: pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays and lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, and People for the American Way."

With Pat Robertson nodding his ascent, Jerry Falwell explained the tragedies in New York City and Washington, D.C., as proof that "God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."

After his comments came under fire, the Washington Post called Falwell who placed "...all the blame legally and morally on the actions of the terrorist..." but he explained that America's "...secular and anti-Christian environment left us open to our Lord's [decision] not to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels God from the culture...the result is not good."

Jerry and Pat genuinely believe that the acceptance of sexual and gender minorities will lead to God's judgment and wrath against our nation. Jerry and Pat are not phony. They are fundamentalist Christians and like fundamentalist Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, fundamentalist Christians are known by their "urge to purge." They believe they are called to "cleanse" society of all they find "unclean" and by cleansing society they will "save it."

Osama bin Laden is a Muslim fundamentalist. He believes that Allah wills him to destroy America, "the Great Satan." He is convinced that his war against our nation is Jihad ("holy war"). The terrorists who hijacked the planes and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were convinced that Allah will reward them for their sacrifice.

Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell are fundamentalist Christians. They believe that they are called by God to cleanse this nation of sexual minorities (and pagans, feminists, abortionists, etc.) and thus to save it. They believe that those who advocate the acceptance of sexual minorities (and other liberal causes) are an "abomination in God's sight" and must be converted or purged. And though Pat and Jerry have never called for violence against these "enemies of God" at least one of the biblical verses they misuse regularly to condemn sexual minorities states clearly that we are "...worthy of death and should be executed, (Leviticus 20)."

And though I am convinced that their extremist remarks are isolating them from the American mainstream, I am still deeply concerned about the consequences of the antigay jihad or holy war that Robertson, Falwell and the other spiritual extremists (terrorists) are waging against us. Their daily misuse of a handful of Biblical verses to condemn sexual and gender minorities still confuses good people of faith across the nation. Those good people of faith who have been convinced that homosexuality is a sickness, a sin, and a threat to the nation, are now waging war against us in and through their mainstream Roman Catholic and Protestant churches to deny us our religious and our political rights and protections.

Click Here to Light a Candle Against Terrorism. This is a wonderful link, pass it on.