September 13, 2001
7:00pm

Today was my first class of Early 20th Century Art this week. Normally that would have been on Tuesday, but...well, we all know what happened then. The teacher, of course, wanted to talk about what had occurred. I did not.

Thinking about the tremendous loss of life still hurts. I get literal pains. I imagine the horror of the people who were involved in this incident. Can you imagine sitting at your desk, minding your own business, when your office suddenly turns into a flaming inferno? Can you imagine choosing between being burned alive and jumping to your death? Can you imagine tearfully calling your mother or husband from a hijacked plane? Can you imagine screaming in terror as your plane deliberately plows into a building? Can you imagine losing a friend so violently? Can you imagine becoming an orphan in an instant? It's during times like this that I wish I didn't have such a vivid imagination.

It's even worse when I think of the poor people left behind. What do they think? How do they feel? How can they possibly learn to cope? I haven't lost anyone and I feel completely helpless. I can't begin to imagine how they must feel.

There have been many discussions about what must be done to the perpetrators of this crime. It seems the government is looking hard at Osama bin Laden and his group. Many want to bomb them into oblivion. I don't know how I feel about that. If it is some radical Muslim faction, then they may believe it to be a martyr's death, which will propel them into the upper echelons of heaven. That must be why they aren't afraid to die. (That brings up another question. How do you punish people who aren't afraid to die? Keep them alive?)

I think that when the government finds these people, that's just what they'll do. The best phrase I can think of is that they will "smote" the offenders. When God "smote" people in the Bible, they were completely and utterly obliterated. He used to tell the Israelites to go into enemy territory and kill every single man, woman, child, and animal. All the possesions and idols of the enemy were burned. God didn't want anything of them left behind. That is what it means to smote. That was Old Testament, though. I have no idea if He would want such a thing to occur now.

One thing is for sure, if the government does do this they better make darn sure it's the right people. First of all, it's only ethical. Killing the innocents would be wrong, and would probably ensure a counter-attack. We don't want that. Second, we want to make sure these people will never do this to us or any other nation again. We can't do that if we destroy the wrong people. The whole thing makes me uneasy, though. I've never been one for capital punishment or "an eye for an eye." However, this situation practically calls out for such an action, and I completely understand why people feel it is needed.

Many people want to see earthly justice done. So do I. However, even if we never find the group that did this, I am confident they will be punished in the heavenly realms. They probably think their acts of martyrdom will secure them a place in heaven, but I think they will be surprised when they get there. They will have to account for what they've done, but so will we. That is why we must proceed with the utmost caution.