OT/Sept. 11, 2001

[SHENmagic at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 26103

I am just coming out of shock. The pictures have seemed surreal and I have 
fought to keep from going numb. I have been crying buckets and also 
facilitating clients through their shock. Though I live in San Diego, I was 
born and raised in New York -went to school just a little north of the Twin 
Towers, and I have lots of friends and relatives in and about New York City. 
I am a therapist who specializes in healing the effects of trauma and there 
has been nothing  like the last couple of days. Those horrendous acts have 
affected everyone I know and most heartwarming for me have been the people 
who are posting about unity, and brother/sisterhood and praying for peace. 
Thank you list Moms for letting folks vent. I have been warmed by most of the 
responses-- and chilled by the eyewitness and first hand posts. I'm 
forwarding an e-mail, having some relevance to the Potteruniverse: it's from 
Richard and Wendy Pini, the authors/illustrator of ElfQuest Comics and 
Graphic Novels speaking on fantasy and violence.
"The Boy Who Lived" has a deeper meaning now for me...
Aylihael
Subject: [Elfquest_news] A terrible day

Dear Elf-Friends All Over the World,

As this is being written, barely six hours have passed since an 
unimaginable horror has occurred. Our American government has ideas but 
doesn't really know who destroyed the World Trade Center and a good 
chunk of the Pentagon. 

Every great religion of the world has had atrocities committed in its 
name. There has never been any reason for America to think herself 
immune to such an attack. And yet, this morning we're all devastated, 
shocked, stunned, incredulous. In an instant, life as we know it has 
changed - for all time to come. 

We turn to fantasy for entertainment, for comfort, and often to escape 
the troubles of the "real" world. (How many times, in how many films, 
have we watched the World Trade towers get destroyed, and smiled at the 
Hollywood cliche.) But, as Richard and I have often said, fantasy isn't 
really worth much unless it holds a mirror up to the human condition in 
some way, illuminating dark corners that wouldn't otherwise get 
explored.

And now... someone has invaded our forest, burned down one of our 
Holts. And many brothers and sisters have been killed.

Among warriors, the desire for revenge is strong. We want so much to 
strike back, howling our outrage. The hardest thing - the very greatest 
challenge - is to remember that those who planned, executed and died in 
the attack are our brothers and sisters too. Over and over again, the 
message we have tried to put forth in Elfquest is that ignorance and 
prejudice are the real evils.

Whatever you're feeling right now - and we realize many of you are not 
American, so you are looking at this tragedy from many different 
perspectives - try, as Richard and I are trying, not to hate. 

Whoever did this must be held accountable and punished. Yet we deeply 
pray that justice will not come about through war, at the inevitable 
cost of countless more innocent lives. Whatever your belief system, 
please join us in sending thoughts of condolence to all the families 
affected by this catastrophe. Then let us send thoughts of justice, 
without bloodshed, to those in power around the globe.

Our technology has outstripped our humanity. As a result, there's no 
hope for a lasting peace unless it's born and nurtured in the 
individual souls of every one of us.

Wendy & Richard Pini