Sept. 23, 2001

By Staff
God will work through me
My country tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty,
that I may see
how God will work
through and throughout me.
I care for my Nation
not just for temptation
as you may see it
bothers me,
but as it happened to
not one, not two, not
even three.
So show us how you care
just by saying a short little prayer
Brittany Stahl, age 11
Southeast School
The First Blow' has been struck
To the Editor:
This might not be the form for a letter to the editor, but it is my contribution of feelings and sympathy to the victims of terrorism. This includes those who were directly affected and the rest of the nation, us. Please print this as is.
The First Blow
I am numb, struck dumb.
My mind cannot comprehend
what I see,
Slaughter in America,
The ominous portent of this event
chills my soul and shatters my heart,
but my eyes are dry.
I cannot cry.
Soot and ashes cover the ground,
and rising smoke marks the grave
of those who may never be found.
My eyes burn and the taste
of death is upon my tongue.
Sounds of search and dying of dreams
unceasingly fill every TV screen.
Faceless bodies with hands that plead
haunt the hours of my restless sleep.
Finally I weep,
and weep,
and weep.
Dot Murphy
Meridian
Evil beyond belief'
To the Editor:
It was on a rather chilly and foggy morning on Dec. 7, 1941, as I was eating my breakfast while visiting in my Aunt Bonnie's home when President Roosevelt interrupted the music on her radio and informed the nation that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor.
To a young man, the mad leaders of Japan and Germany were the most evil monsters ever turned loose upon a civilized world.
This was true and remained so until Sept. 11, 2001.
The terrorist attack was much worse than that in Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was an attack of one military power against another military power. The terrorist attacks we are now experiencing is evil beyond our belief.
Within my lifetime, this is the second time that our God has called us to literally put on armor necessary to sustain a safe and civilized world.
In 1941, mother explained to me that mankind was caught up into a situation and only armed conflict could overcome this form of evil. She was right.
It took years for a Christian nation to defeat this evil.
She further pointed out to me that we must responsibly turn our prayers into action against this evil as we continue to pray and to seek His guidance for our leaders and our sons and daughters that our leaders must place in harm's way.
She prayed her prayer continuously for years and she was only one in millions upon millions of fathers and mothers who sustained their Christian faith to overcome this evil.
Nothing less will save us now.
Barney Shepherd
Philadelphia
American' ends in I Can'
To the Editor:
Last week my son, Samuel, had a history assignment to write a paper on the tragedy. Would you please print it in Letters to the Editor and dedicate it to his grandfather, Edd Louie "Cat" Skelton?
Thank you.
Amelia Stewart
Meridian
On Sept. 11, 2001, two planes hit the World Trade Center and one hit the Pentagon. It's like a war zone. My uncle works at the Pentagon and I didn't know if he was OK. We found out later that day that he was safe in another building.
I was in school when it happened. At first I didn't know it happened. It was a sad day in America. I know that the firemen and women are working night and day with little sleep. People all over the world are helping clean up the rubble. A lot of people are dead or missing.
I hope they find out who did this and make them pay. I know our leaders will do the right thing to protect us. I will be happy when everything is back to normal and I know it will be because American ends in "I can" not in "I can't."
Samuel Stewart
7th grade
Southeast Middle School