(no subject)

[Stephen E Philion <philion@xxxxxxxxxx>]

This is too much, but for a suggestion from a reader in Honolulu's
Honolulu Advertiser: Then again, it beats 'retaliate with the  military'
ideas that have been floated thus far...

Fighting terrorism with our checkbooks

The nation sat riveted to the television on Sept. 11 as news of terrorist
attacks reached homes, offices and schools nationwide. Rage, sadness, fear
and helplessness ensued. What could we do? Desperately call friends and
family members in New York and D.C.? Sit and watch the television
coverage? Send a check to the Red Cross?

I say, go shopping. It's obvious that the terrorists were intent on
disrupting the biggest, most powerful economy on Earth.

Perhaps the terrorists thought they could strike a fatal blow to an
economy already injured by the dot-com crash, the layoffs, the so-called
"downturn."

Fatalistic economists say the attacks could push the United States into an
official recession. And because our economy is so powerful, we could take
the rest of the world down the tubes with us. The only thing that had been
keeping us in the black, they tell us, was consumer confidence.

We can't afford to have our confidence shaken. The world can't afford it.
Citizens were the victims in this act of war, and citizens must be the
soldiers fighting back ... with our credit cards and checkbooks.

Keep the economy alive. It's the patriotic thing to do.

Monique Cole





Stephen Philion
Lecturer/PhD Candidate
Department of Sociology
2424 Maile Way
Social Sciences Bldg. # 247
Honolulu, HI 96822