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Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: "Mike Gioffre" <dgioffre@hotmail.com<@ENRON <IMCEANOTES-+22Mike+20Gioffre+22+20+3Cdgioffre+40hotmail+2Ecom+3E+40ENRON@ENRON.com< X-To: danielleacampora@aol.com, cbozzi@pemcor.com, beltringham@strandcommunications.com, lbeth1972@yahoo.com, sofiedolan@att.net, tds@ciminelli.net, cdolan@above.net, Rogers, Benjamin </O=ENRON/OU=NA/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=BROGERS<, jpenney@hollandlessard.com, michelle.sautter@ibx.com, jverre99@hotmail.com, elizabeth.sprich@marriott.com, clukawski@hitt-gc.com, bill@lawnboys.com, pcsne@mint.net, fatpatde@aol.com, nicole.gioffre@UMIT.MAINE.EDU, RBeste1301@aol.com, Dhannum@philipinc.com, GIOFFREBNFTSRVCS@cs.com, gioffre@archmereacademy.com, gmckearin@rjfs.com, EASBDA@aol.com, barbdl3@aol.com, jasgioffre@yahoo.com, chris.hannum@ssmgroup.com, DocWJF@aol.com, gioffrem@aeltus.com, lbeste@vt.edu, LGbeachmom@aol.com, bethh@fast.net, Scott@calvertschool.org, DGioffre@aol.com, hub1dds@aol.com, mgioffre@cassidy.com X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \BROGERS (Non-Privileged)\Rogers, Benjamin\personal X-Origin: ROGERS-B X-FileName: BROGERS (Non-Privileged).pst < < < American Soul < < < < < < We'll go forward from this moment by Leonard Pitts Jr. < < of the Miami Herald < < < < "It's my job to have something to say. They pay me to < < provide words that help make sense of that which < < troubles the American soul. But in this moment of < < airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, < < the only thing I can find to say, the only words that < < seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author < < of this suffering. < < < < "You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard." < < What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's < < attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? < < What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, < < please know that you failed. < < < < "Did you want us to respect your cause? You just < < damned your cause. < < < < "Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our < < resolve. < < < < "Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us < < together. < < < < "Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and < < quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, < < political and class division, but a family < < nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of < < expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural < < minutiae-a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's < < misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, < < spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and < < material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk < < through life with a certain sense of blithe < < entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though- < < peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know < < the right thing and to do it. And we are, the < < overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, < < believers in a just and loving God. < < < < "Some people-you, perhaps-think that any or all < < of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not < < weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be < < measured by arsenals. < < < < "Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are < < in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of < < the awful thing you did, still working to make < < ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect < < from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot < < development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of < < the awful scope of their ambition and the probable < < final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down < < as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the < < United States and, probably, the history of the world. < < You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied < < before. < < < < "But there's a gulf of difference between making us < < bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan < < was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone < < hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such < < abrupt and monumental pain. When roused, we are < < righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When < < provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any < < suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the < < pursuit of justice. < < < < "I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know < < my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know < < reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread < < of the future. < < < < "In the days to come, there will be recrimination and < < accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose < < failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to < < prevent it from happening again. There will be < < heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic < < freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, < < chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably < < determined. < < < < "You see, the steel in us is not always readily < < apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom < < understood by people who don't know us well. On this < < day, the family's bickering is put on hold. < < < < "As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will < < mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of < < all that we cherish. < < < < "So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? < < It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know < < the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, < < consider the message received. < < < < And take this message in exchange: < < You don't know my people. You don't know what we're < < capable of. You don't know what you just started. < < < < "But you're about to learn." < < < < < < _______________________________________________________ Juniper Bank "Rated #1 in Customer Confidence" Gomez Inc., Summer 2001 Internet Credit Card Scorecard www.juniper.com _______________________________________________________ This e-mail and any files transmitted with it may contain confidential and/or proprietary information. 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