2001-09-17 - 10:30 a.m.

I was biking around Rockport on Saturday, doing errand-type things. Going grocery shopping, renting a movie, and looking for a small American flag I could bring around with me. Just because for once, I felt like I needed it.

As I rolled over the crest of the hill past a strange gas station/redemption center thing called McDuck's, I looked to my left into a van that was driving by me in the opposite direction. I looked through the window at the man driving it. A darker skinned man, black, curly beard laced with white hairs, dark eyes, and a white turban, the most important thing I noticed about him was the fear in his eyes as he looked at me. All he probably saw from me was another angry American who saw him as the Enemy. Because I'm sure if I were in his shoes, I'd feel the same way. Like every other American citizen out there was glaring at him with those eyes that said "You did this."

And as I rode and read that fear, I nodded to him, waved, and gave him a little smile, to show that he had no reason to fear me. I bear him no ill will for his race, religion, dress, or region of origin, or that of his family. To me, he is just another citizen of the world. And I wanted, with my little gesture, to show him that. His eyes lightened up a bit when I did that, and I honestly think I may have had that effect on him. I hope I did.

Because no one deserves hate, anger or violence just because of where they are from, what they might believe, anything like that. If they did, we wouldn't have been so appalled about what happened on Tuesday. Because those attacks were just that. Hate, anger, violence, all directed at the people in those buildings because they were Americans. Not because they were backers of some form of evil toward the country where it came from. Because they were part of an important part of America. So if we were willing to be racist, nationalist, hurt people, hate people, because of how they look or where they are from then we are no better than those involved in the attacks who did the same thing toward us.

Coven, "One Tin Soldier"

"Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
About a kingdom on a mountain,
And the valley folk below.
The mountain people had a treasure,
Buried underneath a stone.
The valley people sought that treasure,
Sought it for their very own.

The valley people sent a message
To the kingdom on the hill,
Asking for that buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they'd kill.
The mountain people sent their answer,
"With our brothers we will share
All the riches of our mountain,
All the treasures buried there."

The valley people cried in anger,
"Mount your horses! Draw your swords!"
They killed all the mountain people,
So they earned their just rewards.
As they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain dark and red,
They turned the stone and looked beneath it.
"Peace on Earth" was all it said."

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend,
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing,
Come the judgment day.
On the bloody morning after...
One tin soldier rides away."