As a Canadian, I grieve for our friends and allies in the United States of America--for the dead and injured, and for their families, and for all American Mudcatters who must surely feeled grief and anger today.

Where my wife works, in Ottawa in a Canadian government office, there is a young man who is working with her as a trainee. He is a young palestinian whose wife just had their first child. My wife organized a baby shower for them, with office workers attending.

Issam was very proud to become Canadian; he grew up in refugee camps as a person without a country. His family is proud of him too; he is the first one in the family since 1948 to become a citizen. I can't imagine what it's like to be stateless.

I hope and pray that he along with other innocent Muslims will not become targets of this anger that has engulfed us all.

My thoughts and prayers are with Americans today. We grieve with you.

Rich McCarthy