Sermons
What Did 9/11 Teach Us?
By Robert P. Tucker, Ph.D., Minister
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland, Florida - September
8, 2002
(See also One Nation, Under Law!)
I read in the paper recently that some Americans are tired of being
reminded about 9/11. [Breed, A2] In some ways, that's a good sign for
it means that we are beginning to heal from our wounds, starting to
recover our lost momentum, preparing to get on with our lives.
Nevertheless, psychologists say that it's really impossible, even unhealthy
to try and forget the events of a tragedy before its first anniversary.
The process of grieving must take place. There is a need to let historical
distance provide perspective so that understanding can ripen. Finally,
there is a moral responsibility to learn whatever lessons can be found
so that we can prepare for or prevent a similar disaster in the future.
As a spokeswoman said, explaining why the Hallmark Card Company has
provided a line of 9/11 products, "It's horrible, but we need to
remember." [Notebook, 13] Only by remembering can we find the peace
we want and need and deserve.
Today, I want to share with you what I believe are the five most
important lessons that we, as Unitarian Universalists, can learn from
9/11. There are other lessons that we could learn-lessons for us
as parents, spouses, and siblings; lessons for us as Americans, and
lessons for us as citizens of the world. But my task, as your minister,
is first and foremost to elucidate the meaning of things from within
our religious tradition. To do that is enough for one day!
The first lesson that I think 9/11 can teach us is this: Unitarian
Universalists hold a wide variety of opinions on all topics, and such
opinions deserve respect!
At the national level, our headquarters in Boston has not issued any
official position papers concerning 9/11. Our leaders have, of course,
issued declarations of sympathy to the victims, and of denunciation
of the terrorists. They have made our denomination's resources available
to assist in recovery efforts, and they have encouraged all of us to
learn more about the causes of this crisis and about what we can do
to remedy those world-wide festering sores of discontent brought on
by discrimination, disenfranchisement, and denial of homeland territory.
But none of these statements has come down as an edict that any U.U.
congregation or any individual U.U. is required to endorse.
At the local level, this congregation has not taken any formal stand
on 9/11. U.U. congregations don't do that kind of thing, and even if
they did, none of their members would be obligated to agree with them.
Neither Unitarian Universalism nor this congregation is Democrat, Republican,
or any other political party. The U.U.A. is a religious denomination
and this congregation is a spiritual community. Both the U.U.A. and
U.U.C.L. have members, most of whom are Democrat, but many of whom are
Republican or something else. Most U.U.s did not vote for President
Bush, but some did. Many U.U.s do not support the "war on terrorism,"
but some do. Neither the U.U.A. nor this congregation endorses the extreme
positions of Absolute Pacifism with its slogan of "Peace at all
costs," or of Absolute Militarism with its slogan of "War
in any case." There are, however, some members of the U.U.A. and
of U.U.C.L. who do favor such views.
Unitarian Universalism is creedless--not only in matters of theology,
but also in matters of war and peace. U.U.s are never required to march
in lockstep with Boston, with their local congregations, with their
clergy, or even with each other! Why? Because U.U.s believe in toleration,
in seeking unity amidst diversity, in the "acceptance of one another"
as together we "search for truth and meaning" under the guidance
of reason and conscience through "the democratic process."
These are our "Principles" and "Beliefs." [Singing,
x; Rankin]
2
The second lesson I think we U.U.s can learn from 9/11 is this:
There are some astonishingly evil people in this world!
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani wrote about the attackers:
"We have met the worst of humanity." [Giuliani, 6] Analysts
recognize that today the civilized world has a new kind of enemy, not
seen since W. W. II's kama kazi pilots-men, women and
children who do not value their own lives or the lives of innocent noncombatants
and who are willing to commit suicide by becoming bombs themselves [Bobbitt;
Goodman; Hendawi; Ripley; Rohde] These enemies are not military personnel.
They do not act for any government. They are not secular combatants,
but "holy" warriors dying for and in the name of some god.
As such they are religious fanatics even more dangerous than the right
wing Christian fundamentalists we U.U.s criticize so often.
Most people understand that the problem is not with Islam-for it is
a peaceful religion, and not with Muslims--for most Muslims are peaceful
as well. [Friedman; La Corte, "Muslims…"; La Corte, "Podiatrist…";
McMullen; Pugh; Salem] The problem is with fanatical extremists.
As liberals, we Unitarian Universalists have a tendency to want
to see the best in everyone.
We believe in the freedom of religious expression and the toleration
of diverse religious ideas [Rankin, Beliefs #1 & #2] and we
want to think everyone does; but some people don't. They burn books,
issue death threats against authors (e.g., Salmon Rushdie), torture,
mutilate and kill persons of different beliefs; and while we defend
free speech, they abuse it by inciting violence, instilling hatred,
and broadcasting lies of prejudice and bigotry.
We believe in reason. [Rankin, Belief #3] We rejected our own
religious predecessors who distrusted reason because of "Original
Sin." We passed through the Enlightenment and know that the world's
scriptures are not the words of any deity, but are human words which
reflect the cultural limitations of their authors. We want to think
that all people are rational and can be persuaded by reasonable arguments
to change their harmful behaviors. But that simply is not true of fundamentalist
fanatics whose bodies are here, but whose minds remain in the 7th Century!
We believe in a never ending search for truth [Rankin, Belief
#4] and want to think others do too; but they don't! Our admitted ignorance
makes us humble and open to changing our minds and our practices as
new knowledge arises. It opens us to others who know and do things differently.
It makes us tolerant. But religious zealots believe they already possess
the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth-so help them their
god. They are arrogant and unwilling to learn new things, unwilling
to change their minds or practices, and intolerant of others who differ.
We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all persons [First
Principle, Singing, x] and we want to think that everyone does-but they
don't.
We believe in love [Rankin, Belief #8] and want to think that
everyone else does. But these new enemies are motivated by hatred. They
have said so. They teach hatred to children in their schools. Their
sexism, racism, sectarianism, homophobia, anti-industrialism, anti-intellectualism,
and anti-modernism are all marks of pride for them. [Ratnesar, "Do
We…"; Frantz; Friedman; Hendawi]
We believe in the democratic process [Rankin, Belief #9] and
we want to think others do, too; but they don't! Some of them believe
in theocracy, and a few in anarchy.
We seek justice, equity & compassion in human relations
[Principle Two, Singing x] and want to think all do; but they don't!
These fundamentalist fanatics force unwilling women to undergo circumcision,
treat women as inferior, and deal with gays and lesbians as if they
were criminals. They use mutilation, torture, rape and stoning as punishments.
[Tanveer; "Court Affirms…"; Mydans; Robinson; "Unwed…"]
Where is their justice, equity or compassion?
3
We have as our goal a world community with peace, liberty, &
justice for all [Principle Six, Singing x] and want to think all
do; but they don't. The goal of these madmen is a world community like
what they established in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
However tempted we are to want to think well of these new enemies,
and to want to think of them as being like us in their hopes & aspirations,
none of that is true. They represent the antithesis of everything we,
as Unitarian Universalists, stand for. We must recognize them for who
they are and be prepared to respond appropriately to them-for otherwise,
they will destroy the values and the people we cherish.
The third lesson that I think we U.U.s can learn from 9/11 is this:
There are some amazingly good people in this world.
I quoted Mayor Giuliani only in part before. Here is his whole sentence:
"We have met the worst of humanity with the best of humanity."
[Giuliani, 6] He was speaking of the 343 firefighters who sacrificed
their lives for others on 9/11. "Not a single one of those heroes
died in vain," he wrote. "Their courage, selflessness and
professionalism saved more than 25,000 lives that day-making it the
most successful rescue operation in our nation's history." [Giuliani,
8]
Their courage and determination should serve as an eternal example
to us all. When firefighters run into a burning
building, they don't stop to wonder whether the people inside are
rich or poor, what race they are, or what religion
they practice. Their thoughts are focused solely on the individuals
inside that need to be saved. Their actions
represent the purest example of love. [Giuliani, 8]
Those firefighters were not alone. Thirty-seven port officials and
twenty-three police officers also made the ultimate sacrifice as they
rescued those trapped in the world trade center. [Lynch, 80] One such
cop was George Howard. He lived thirty-five miles away. But he rushed
to the Towers when he saw what was happening on T.V. [Lynch, 63] Another
police officer was Moira Smith, the only female cop to perish. Right
after she was photographed helping one man escape she went back in to
help an asthma patient descend from the fifth floor. But the building
collapsed. [O'Shaughnessy, 115-119]
While those public servants were going beyond the call of duty, thousands
of ordinary people lined up at hospitals to give blood and help in other
ways. [Giuliani, 8] Similar events were taking place at the Pentagon.
Over Pennsylvania, a different kind of bravery and self-sacrifice was
occurring. On Flight 93, forty ordinary people had been hijacked. Several
passengers used cell phones to call loved ones who told them that two
planes had slammed into the Twin Towers. Tom Burnett, Jr., told his
wife, "We have to do something. A group of us [are making a plan].
It's up to us. I think we can do it." [Conflated quotes, Longman,
172] Jeremy Glick told his wife: "We're going to rush the hijackers."
[Sullivan, 86] Todd Beamer did not want to upset his wife. So he called
an operator to pass along information and to seek help. "I know
I am not going to get out of this," he said. [Sullivan, 88] Then,
as he was talking, the operator could hear another passenger ask him,
"You ready?" Todd Beamer's last words were simply: "Okay.
Let's roll." [Longman, 177f.; cf. Poniewozik]
The coroner who lovingly cared for the passengers' bodies was Wallace
Miller. He said:
Those 40 people…aren't victims, they're heroes. [They did something]
to prevent the terrorists from using the plane
as a cruise missile. What happened here is what makes this country
great. A couple of guys…came up with the
idea and others selflessly joined in. [Quotes conflated, Lynch, 86]
4
Their crash site is now a shrine. Tourists come from all over the
world. One left a stuffed dog the locals nicknamed "Max."
A note hangs around Max's neck. It says: "To the heroes of Flight
93. You are the embodiment of what America is all about. You took a
day of bitter defeat and made it a shining day for America." [Lynch,
88; an official marker says much the same, Hamburg, 98]
Rudolph Giuliani told one audience that America's togetherness since
9/11 has not come only from our having been attacked:
We are also bound by heroism. The reason that Todd Beamer and the
others on Flight 93 had the courage to bring
that plane down, and the reason that New York City policemen, firemen
and rescue workers did what they did, was
because of their belief in freedom. They thought that was more important
than their lives. They wanted to pass it on
to their children. [Connolly, 67]
Children are getting this message! TIME magazine reports that children
now have new role models besides rock stars and athletes. On leaving
a N.Y. Mets game, one 8-year-old boy surprised everyone when he went
up to a policeman and asked the cop to sign his baseball glove. The
officer asked why him and not a ballplayer. The boy responded: "Because
you helped save the world!" [Gibbs, "What…" 30]
The fourth lesson that I think we, as U.U.s can learn from 9/11
is this: We must be ever vigilant to defend the values and the people
we cherish from being harmed or destroyed by outside enemies.
This is an especially difficult and controversial matter for us. All
U.U.s agree that "Blessed are the peacemakers." [Mt. 5:9]
But not all U.U.s are convinced that someTIMEs "the best defense
is a [military] offense."
I, personally, believe that the United States had no choice but to
respond militarily--in some fashion--to the forces which attacked
us.
I also believe, however, that it is open to debate whether or not President
Bush chose the best form of response when he invaded Afghanistan and
declared an undefined worldwide "war on terrorism" that goes
far beyond dealing with those who attacked us.
In any case, now it is TIME to ask: What should America do next? I
don't think anyone has a good answer yet.
First of all, there is no clear proof that Al-Qaeda has either been
fatally weakened or been able to regroup. Evidence does show that the
forces of Bin Laden remain well funded and that they have more plans
to attack America and other nations. [Finn; Frantz; Kepel; Lynch; Shannon;
Shenon; Smith; Solomon]
Second, "What should be done about Saddem Hussein?" Again,
no clear case has been made. President Bush seems Hell-bent to attack
Iraq, but even members of his own administration are calling for restraint.
[Bobbitt; Bumiller; Economist; Guggenheim; Ignatius; Krauthammer; Mann;
McCain; Ratnesar, "Iraq…"; Safire (all); Schweid (all)]
Despite our disagreements, I believe all U.U.s are in favor of "giving
peace a chance!" Before he commits us to war, we would urge the
president to consult Congress, to convince the American people, to send
weapons inspectors back into Iraq, and to build a coalition among our
allies. Anything less would be devoid of wisdom and doomed to failure.
Unless and until war against Iraq becomes unavoidable, I think we should
heed these words of Dr. Bob Baum:
In a world going mad,
Who will work for peace?
In a world where our youth
are killing each other
for God and for country,
Will anyone teach them
how precious they are?
In a world bent on war,
We must work for peace.
[Baum, 3/31/2]
5
The fifth lesson that I think we U.U.s can learn from 9/11 is this:
We must be ever vigilant to defend the values and the people we cherish
from being harmed or destroyed by enemies from within-by
which I mean those right-wing American extremists who would stifle freedom
in the name of freedom.
We do need to tighten security in places and ways as never before:
we need more screening at airports, mass entertainment events and amusement
parks. We need closer inspection of all the people, luggage and vehicles
that cross our borders. We need to heighten security on our nation's
infrastructure: its transportation systems, power plants, drinking water
sources, and so on. These things need to be done. But, they must be
done without destroying the freedoms they are protecting.
Already we have seen instances where the thin fine line between security
and subjugation has been crossed. We have seen it in the profiling used
by police and F.B.I. agents, and by civilians in the form of prejudice
and discrimination. [La Corte, "Muslims…"; Pugh] We have
seen freedom shackled by 9/11-related incarceration and deportation
hearings held in secret. Polls indicate that the public supports such
misconduct, but the courts have reminded Americans that "democracies
die behind closed doors." ["Court: Secrecy…"; Gearan;
Lichtblau; Liptak; "Notebook" for quote] We have even had
America's super-secret spy court rule that the F.B.I. lied to it and
that Attorney General John Ashcroft went beyond what democracy can tolerate
when he loosened the rules that regulate the gathering of intelligence.
[Lichblau]
There is also growing concern that America's far right-wing may be
breeding its own terrorists as exemplified in Florida by the Jewish
podiatrist who had stockpiled weapons and bombs and made plans to use
them against Arab and Muslim Americans. [Gibbs, "Summer…";
La Corte (all)]
Lastly, at a TIME when understanding and appreciation of the values
of many cultures is essential to achieving world peace and justice,
some conservative extremists have attacked National Education Association
lesson plans teaching pluralism, diversity and toleration to school
children on the basis that they are "unpatriotic." [Will;
Zernike]
One newsmagazine asked, "Is it possible we could do to ourselves
what our worst enemies did not manage?" [Gibbs, "Summer…"]
The answer is, "Yes, if we don't watch the watchers!"
In closing I would mention a sixth lesson that New York City can
teach us. Again, I quote Rudolf Giuliani:
The resilience of life in New York is the ultimate sign of defiance
to terrorism. We call ourselves The Capital City of
the World…because we are the most diverse city in the world.
Every day, we provide living proof that Christians,
Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists can live side by side and thrive
in one city, under one flag, in a spirit of mutual
respect. [Giuliani, 8]
What already exists in New York City, is what we, as Unitarian Universalists,
hope will come to exist the whole world over. Perhaps, if we learn the
lessons of 9/11, we can turn that dream into reality. Amen.
=======================================================================================
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