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After the initial shock of the terrorist
attack, I was thinking how deeply isolated, lost, and full
of hate a man would have to be to justify committing or organizing
such terrorist events as we have seen.
I was talking to strangers [shortly after
the event] about their views on what happened. Most were just
shocked, but one man said that this showed us how you cannot
feel safe anywhere anymore. I noted to him that this is perhaps
a wake-up call to embrace the preciousness and fragileness
of life. A wake-up call that we cannot take for granted even
a moment. A wake-up call for the importance of enjoying the
beauty and gifts of life, for it could be taken away in a
flash or explosion. A wake-up call for us to stand up, speak
up, and be more active for what we know needs to be changed
in the world. A wake-up call that we can live our lives as
though we make a difference. For to diminish our own lives,
it gives the terrorists exactly what they want.
I think the best way to disrupt the false
belief that I, as one man, cannot actually make a difference
in the world is by speaking, acting, and living as though
I do. Many years ago I realized that I was never going to
collect enough evidence that I could make a difference in
the world. However, I decided that, independent of evidence,
I was going to live my life as though I can make a difference.
You cannot imagine how many things I have accomplished in
the 10 years since I made that decision.
In this latest tragedy I am praying for
the dead, the wounded, the families, and the souls that are
obviously so lost that they could actually carry out such
a terrible act as this. I hope we all will be moved to support
our country in taking the most compassionate, thoughtful,
and effective actions in response to this tragedy.
In Joy,
Martin Brossman
Raleigh, NC
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