My Fellow Americans,
Terrorists attempt to defeat us not on some distant battlefield but in our hearts. They want us to be terrified. They want us to despair. They want us to give up. We must not. Let us recognize and say it clearly for ourselves and for all our friends and allies worldwide to hear. We are at war. We must not surrender.
We must grant reality, the strikes at our cities and our countrymen have frightened us. But we have not been beaten. We must confront and defeat evil wherever it is found. Where possible we will defeat it by reclaiming lost hearts and souls. Where necessary we will defeat it with deadly force. I tell everyone who will listen, the forces of darkness and fear can't win unless we let them.
This battle, this war, has been with us since the beginning of time. We must have faith that we will prevail. This war is not about land or money but about righteousness. This is a war of despair against hope, hate against love, evil against good. These despicable terrorists will be hunted, will be found, and will be punished. But they are not the only enemy. The enemy is timeless. The enemy is all evil. These murderers are only evil's latest henchmen. We must not, cannot, will not surrender!
Whether or not you are called on to take up arms, make no mistake, you are in this battle. It will be fought, it will be won or lost, one person at a time and deep in our hearts. However understandable it may be, I am concerned for those who have already begun to falter. Many wonderful, strong people have reached out to help each other. These people are already winning. Others have begun to yield to fear and despair. These people are already losing. When you become afraid to live, to love and to give life — you are surrendering. When you succumb to indiscriminate hatred and revenge fantasies — you are surrendering. Never surrender!
Stand tall and act with pride. Reach deep inside yourselves and call forth all your best qualities. If you do, the forces of hate fear and darkness can never fully defeat you. So long as we remain only horrified but not terrified, they haven't won. So long as we continue to be strong and pull together (as the brave citizens and rescue workers in NYC, Washington and nationwide have done), they haven't won. So long as Americans young and old refuse to abandon our country, our freedoms, our ideals and our way of life — they can never win.
Hug your loved ones if you still can. Live your lives as best you can. Refuse to yield to the forces of despair, the forces of hatred, the forces of evil. Never surrender!
Pray for strength,
Pray for those harmed,
Pray for those in harm's way,
Help those you can,
God bless America,
Pete
Peter John Resweber, Ph.D.
DrResweber@AOL.com
