Feeling Grateful to Be Alive

Do you feel grateful to be alive today? I know I do. I awakened to news that terrorists had hijacked passenger airliners and led a kamikaze mission into the New York World Trade Center towers. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon, another outside Pittsburgh.

I am stunned. My worries over business, credit card debt, personality conflicts and other higher needs have now been replaced with an innate obsession with survival. Might an attack be made on LAX, the Federal Building or downtown?

I suppose anything is possible. Do I have enough food, water, gasoline, first aid supplies and the means to protect my family and myself? Am I prepared to meet my maker? I packed my first aid kit, although it would probably be of little use in the event of mass devastation.

I realize how relatively unimportant making money, furthering my education and the condition of the stock market are when faced with the potential threat of world war. My generation seems generally clueless and far removed from the realities of war. The last memorable devastating terrorist attack was the Oklahoma City bombing.

I thank God for my life and the lives of my friends and family members at this moment. I recognize the brevity and uncertainty of precious life. Today, I believe I have a responsibility to my family to be prepared. As prepared as we can be. The rest I must leave to those who have assumed responsibility for the safety of our nation.

Yes, today I am grateful to be alive, breathing and with all my limbs intact. For those whose parents and loved ones have been taken by these atrocious acts of violence, I mourn.

Todd Davis

Glendale

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It is 9 a.m. in California. My boss wants me to get some work done. Today my nation has been attacked. Today thousands of my countrymen were slaughtered. Somehow, the stuff in my “IN” box just doesn’t seem very important.

Roger K. Weiss

Foothill Ranch

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We were a nation of New Yorkers on Tuesday.

Kurt Sipolski

Palm Desert

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The spawn of the seeds of hatred was apparent in the televised view of celebrating Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, as the world wept for the slaughter of innocents in New York, Washington and the American skies. Compassion for all humans and respect for the sorrow of those who mourn have been supplanted by disregard for any but those who share their passions. These lessons should have been taught from birth and, instead, for all to see, we have seen the demonstration of their hatred for the “other.”

It is my urgent prayer that sanity might return to discourse and disagreement be addressed in peaceful dialogue. We need to remember that we are all God’s children, precious and of great worth.

Today, the world weeps.

Sherri Lipman

Fullerton

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Sooner than we can imagine, a terrorist will set off an atomic bomb in a large city. None of us are safe. Too bad “humanity” has come to this sad state of affairs.

Joel Rosenthal

Santa Monica

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I hope that people will do positive things to help with this overwhelming tragedy: donate blood to the Red Cross and help with other donations and support to all the families of these innocent victims.

I hope that the U.S. will find those responsible and not retaliate against a people or a country instead of the individuals who planned this indiscriminate murder of thousands of innocent people. We need to mobilize for peace before more innocent people suffer. No one is safe if we want revenge instead of justice.

Kathleen O’Connor Wang

Diamond Bar

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If there has ever been a time in the life of George W. Bush that he needed to think hard about the world at large and consider the consequences of his actions, this is it. God bless us all.

Bob Loza

Burbank