Cape Cod Friends Respond
to the "Attack on America"
The following statement was prepared by a coalition of Cape peace groups to
be published in the Cape Cod Times and other local papers, and was undersigned by
Friends from Sandwich monthly Meeting.1
NO MORE INNOCENT LIVES LOST
We, the undersigned residents of Cape Cod, here express our horror and
outrage at the terror attacks in New York and Washington, and our heartfelt
sadness and grief for the families of those lost. There is no question
that those responsible for these attacks must be brought to justice...but
in pursuing that justice we must not put innocent lives at risk. As the
mother of a son killed at the World Trade Center pleads: "Not in my son's name."
WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER
We are profoundly alarmed by our political and
military leadership's plans for retaliation, vengeance . . . and war. War is
indiscriminate: It does not distinguish between the innocent and the
guilty. Instead of seeking vengeance, we must learn about the deep-rooted
causes of these attacks in order to prevent more violence and more
victims. True security is achieved not from the barrel of a gun but from
policies that pursue social justice and human rights, and that strengthen
international cooperation and law.
The following was excerpted from the FCNL statement, endorsed by a
committee of W. Falmouth Friends, and published in a 1/4 page ad in the
Cape Cod Times September 21, 2001:
. . . Many in the administration and Congress have declared that a state of
war now exists. We are concerned that these public statements may be
stirring the popular will and expectation for war. We wonder: War against
whom? Cooler heads must prevail in the U.S. government during this time of
crisis. War will only compound the tremendous assault on humanity that has
already occurred. War is not the answer.
1. Sandwich Monthly Meeting is supposedly the oldest continuous monthly meeting in North America. It is composed of three preparative meetings on Cape Cod, Mass.
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