Think of what war means

I, like millions of other Americans, sat glued to the TV for the past two days. I, like millions of others, watched the horror that terrorism brought to America. And I, like millions of others, cried. I cried at the sight of the buildings burning, I cried when I saw them collapse, I cried when I realized that all that was left of a symbol of democracy and freedom was ashes and dust.

I, too, feared for the lives of my loved ones in New York City and Washington, D.C. I, too, feel vulnerable and afraid for what this might bring. I, too, am so filled with rage and need for revenge that my normally passive heart races. But I, too, must stop and think.

I have heard countless students and angry civilians scream about the injustice, demand retribution and rally for revenge. But I stop and remember that if this country begins bombing, if this country acts too quickly in our rage and sadness, we could pay the ultimate price. This will not be a war we read about in textbooks. This will be a war that our classmates fight. A war that my brothers get called upon for. A war that's horrors will rest on our generation to carry. And that is a burden that I never thought I would live to bear.

I will stand behind my President and my country in whatever we chose to do, but I beg those so consumed with hatred to stop and think. We will be fighting hatred with hatred, massacre for massacre, and brother to brother. Ashes to ashes; dust to dust.

Mary Somers
junior in communications

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