Those are three words I had hoped never to hear again in my lifetime. As a child, I saw the Vietnam War televised live at 6:00 p.m. and at 10:00 p.m. in our living room. We watched the tragedy unfold before our eyes, yet I never imagined that the war could touch us personally.

Then, I saw the lives of healthy young men shattered into tiny pieces as they returned from the “police action”. I came within one year of being drafted into the armed forces. I saw the conflict split our great Country into factions that almost created a civil war. To this day, the horror of the Vietnam War lives on in every Vietnam Veteran I see panhandling at an expressway intersection.

And now, along with almost every other citizen of the USA and of the world, I watch as the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the symbols of our monetary power in America, crumble into dust before my eyes. I don’t live in New York City. I live across the country in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Yet I am touched by the tragedy, angered by the callous disregard for life, and frightened that it is only the beginning of a new campaign to undermine all of our lives. We are part of a new country now, a country where we can never feel safe and never trust each other. We will be searched at airports. We will be questioned at borders. We will suspect anyone who does not “look” like us. That is the nature of terrorism.

Who is the real enemy? Everyone is pointing his or her finger to this person, this group, or that country, but the real enemy is hate. What have we done to awaken this kind of hate? There is nothing that we did personally to enrage someone on the other side of the world yet, somehow, we are all held liable. The great danger of having an enemy is that to conquer them, we must become like them. Is this the new model for the USA? I hope and pray – no! Let us join together as a country to understand the hatred unleashed against us. Once understood, we can create the opportunity for world harmony. It seems that our “enemies” believe that they are doing God’s work through their abject hatred, yet no faith-based religion, whether it is Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist, subscribes to this tenet.

What can we do as individuals to eliminate hate in the world?

•  Begin in your own home.

• Treat your family with respect and love.

• Teach your children to love without prejudice. Provide a nurturing, loving environment where everyone near you feels safe.

• Next, reach out to your community and let your feelings be known. If you are against war, our leaders need to hear this declaration.

• Finally, and most importantly, pray, meditate, or otherwise communicate with the Divine that good will triumph over evil not be converted into evil. 

Do not let despair and hate become our reality. Let us join together as a family, as a community, as a nation and as a world to foster communication, hope and love.