Editorial

We must not allow hate to find a safe harbor in the city of Saratoga

Saratogans along with other Americans will continue to experience the emotional reverberations of witnessing the loss of thousands of innocent lives during the recent terrorist attacks. Even though these attacks took place thousands of miles away from the relative tranquility of our city, many people experienced the horrors of warlike aggression in real time as it played--and eventually replayed--on television.

Those images will likely be burned into our consciousness for a lifetime.

The spectacle hit many of us on the West Coast while we were blinking through our morning cup of coffee, compounding the shock of what we were seeing.

Now we are challenged to keep our roiling emotions in check at a time when we need to think clearly and address the task at hand, which is to right our wounded country, protect ourselves from further attack and eventually bring to justice those responsible for the mayhem.

We can't allow ourselves to become consumed with vengeance to the extent that innocent people in our own country, such as Muslims and Arabs, become the targets of misplaced anger.

Young people, given that their emotional and intellectual development is still in its formative stage, would seem to be especially susceptible to possibly lashing out at those they perceive to be the enemy.

Many young people don't yet have the life experiences and historical perspective from which to make rational choices in this time of turmoil. Parents and other adults need to step to the fore and help guide those who are blinded by this rage.

We, as a community, must set the tone for how we will deal with what happened and what is still to come.

We cannot allow acts of hate to take place here or anywhere else in our country. We've already seen, in graphic detail, the results when one group of people is demonized by another group of people.

One word that has entered our lexicon in the days following the attacks is "harbor," referring to how some countries have evidently given suspected terrorist groups refuge and a place to operate within their borders.

Let's turn that around and create a safe harbor for those who might be unfairly singled out for persecution. Let's transcend the rhetoric that seems to be clogging the airwaves and just act, in a manner that is responsible and compassionate.

We will honor the memory of those killed by hate by refusing to allow it into our own lives. If we fail to curb our appetite for revenge and take it out on innocent people in our midst, then the people responsible for the recent terrorist acts can truly say, "Mission accomplished."

Sheriff's Report

Editorial: We must not allow hate to find a safe harbor in Saratoga

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