I think we are beginning to get a little clarity here...

Troll - Of course it affects freedom. Undoubtedly. But that was not the conscious purpose behind this attack. Not in any way.

The conscious purpose was revenge and retaliation for assumed grievances too numerous to count at this point, depending on who you are, where you grew up, and what you believe because of it. If you had been born a Palestinian you might have been among those dancing in the street on Tuesday. People can easily be turned to hatred and forgetfullness of their common humanity.

It is a greater challenge to meet hatred with love than to just return more hatred...isn't it? I mean, try it sometime.

Every time someone says or does something hurtful to me it hurts, of course...but then I have a choice in front of me.

I will defend myself, but I choose not to hate. And if anger overcomes me briefly, then I step back, and I think, and again I choose not to hate.

By the way, it appears that passengers on one of the planes fought against the hijackers and caused the plane to crash without reaching its target. They are heroes! That's what I call defending oneself (and others). It has nothing to do with hatred, it has everything to do with doing what simply must be done in duty to common humanity.

- LH