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Rising From The Ashes
Listen
to this Commentary!
By Silvia Rivera
At the age of 20, I suddenly realize how fragile life is. Of course I will never
fully understand this horrific act of terrorism and how someone could create
so much destruction. Perhaps I will never find the answers to this question.
I can only share with others what I do know. We, the people, have been challenged
to overcome this moment.
When the smoke clears, we must rise from the ashes, and rebuild our cities,
our hearts, and our minds. We must let the world know that our spirits are unshakeable
and that beliefs in freedom will never be destroyed. When the smoke clears,
we must remember that this has affected us all. We must not make unwarranted
conclusions or develop prejudices. Already I've heard a few comments that have
shaken me to the core. "That's why we have to be careful who we let in,
we let too many foreigners into this country.." and "we should have
bombed the Arabs a long time ago." These comments are dangerous and wrong.
Let us not forget the injustices of World War II, when Japanese Americans were
placed in camps, and ostracized for crimes they did not commit. Ethnic origin
or religion are not our enemies here, terrorism is. We must support one another
during this time, as we are ALL victims of this attack. When the smoke clears,
we must also clear our hearts of anger. We must seek justice, not war. We must
take actions that redeem the world, not make us worse than the perpetrators.
The loss of innocent lives will not remedy anyone's soul.
We must stand in solidarity. No matter what race, gender, age, or religion,
we must keep the principles of freedom alive. We must honor those who perished,
so they did not die in vain. America, despite its many imperfections, is a land
of liberty. Let us continue to fight for the rights of all. We should take a
moment and not only pray for the well being of our country, but for all those
countries, who everyday live with the fear of bombings, terrorism, disease,
and death. We often hear these stories, and think of them as somebody else's
problem, until they happen in our own backyard.
Peace and God Bless.
— Silvia Rivera is a student in Texas.
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