My Friends,

Unlike most news items I have decided that a normal news article is nowhere near sufficient to show my sorrow for the current state of the world in light of the recent attacks against the very core of my home country, the United States of America. I have received a few emails in the last couple of days suggesting that the SubspaceLink does not care about the attacks for not saying anything about the attacks. On the contrary, The shock of the unnecessary and immediate loss of so much life hurt me so deeply, that I did something extremely unprecedented in my normal behavior. I stayed away from computers except for my required work for the last two days.

I have followed the examples set out by many of my friends who share my faith in Jesus Christ and have been praying for my country.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about when I talk about the Attacks, as I am sure there are some, here is a brief description of the events that happened on Tuesday, September 11th.

Tuesday, September 11th began like any other day, thousands of people bustled through the World Trade Center in New York, New York like any other day conducting normal business.

At 8:45 Eastern time, an event happened that will go down in all history. American Airlines flight Number 11 from Boston was Hijacked and then purposely crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York, New York.

The Jet tore a gaping hole in the building and lit it aflame. As if this event was not bad enough, a mere 18 minutes later, another Hijacked Airliner, this time a United Airlines flight 175, also from Boston, collided with the South tower of the WTC, causing the same effect.

At this point it became obvious, that these scenes of terror were not accidents, but horrible acts of terror, the likes of which the USA has never seen, but it was not over yet.

Within a matter of an hour all the rules of American History were Broken, at 9:17 the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) closed all New York Airports, at 9:21 the New York Port Authority closed all bridges, ports, and bridges to New York, litterally closing off the island of Manhatten, isolating it from the world. At 9:30 President Bush Announced that the country has been attacked.

AT 9:40 the FAA did something that has never been done since the invention of the Airplane. The FAA Stoped ALL flights in the United States, effectively making the entire US a No Fly Zone.

Unfortunately, they were not fast enough, a mere 3 minutes later, American Airlines Flight # 77 crashed in the Pentagon near Washington D.C. Causing a huge explosion and causing the Pentagon to be immediately evacuated.

Shortly after 10, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, sending debris onto the streets. Five minutes later a portion of the Pentagon collapsed.

Simultaneously to the Pentagon Collapsing, another Hijacked United Airlines Flight, Flight #93 crashed near Pittsburgh, PA. There are many speculations on the original target of this aircraft-turned-missile including The White House, The Capital Building, Camp David, and even an in-the-air ramming of Air Force One.

In the minutes that followed, many major government facilities considered possible targets were evacuated including the United Nations headquarters in New York, The Capital Building in Washington DC, The White House, the State Department, The Justice Department, and other federal buildings in DC

At 10:28 the inevitable happened and The North Tower of the World Trade Center finally collapsed to the ground.

Many events in the next several hours but they all run in together, the next thing of true note happened at 2:30 p.m. when the FAA announced that the closing of all US Flights would continue until at least Noon on Wednesday.

There were no more crashes that day but still, buildings fell. The World Trade Center towers were incredibly tall and when they fell the debris caused other nearby buildings to become unstable. At 5:20 that afternoon, the World Trade Center Building 7, a 47-story tall building, collapsed.

At 8:30, President Bush addressed the nation. The Text of that speech can be found on CNN.

There were many more events over the next few days, but this brief description outlines the first and most terrible day of the horrific events that have taken place this week.

At this time I would like to say a few words to the "Starfleet" community. One of the reasons that we all enjoy Star Trek so much is because of the positive outlook it places on the Future for all of Humanity. We've all watched and seen that although Humanity still has problems, particularly with alien cultures, in the 24th century we don't have problems amongst ourselves (with the exception of the Maquis which I will not go into at this point).

I am proud to be an American, I love my country and I love the world that I live in. Unfortunately, the world today is not that of the 24th century, there is not worldwide peace. The World is constantly in turmoil. In the kind of world where someone can take a plane, full of civilian passengers, take over the cockpit, and then while he is still on board, ram that plane into a building that is also full of people, not only killing all of those people but himself as well is not the type of world that Roddenberry envisioned for the future.

Now, a few days after the dust settled and the shock is starting to diminish a little, the horror is still fresh on my mind. The only thing I can think of in the Star Trek universe that compares to the events of Tuesday, September 11th comes from the last season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, when the Dominion and the Breen bombed Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, CA. That, in all Star Trek history, was the only direct attack I can remember on the heart of Earth.

That event hurt the Federation, but I had no idea how much an attack against the very soul of my home would feel. Now I know.

It hurts to have a piece of your homeland torn out right from under you.

I want you all to know, however, that the story does not end Tuesday Night.

This week has seen terrible injustice, but it has also seen people come together in ways I have not seen in my entire life.

I have never seen so many American Flags. On buildings, on cars, in hands, in hats, on shirts, in ribbons, on TV, Americans are proud of their country and are willing to do whatever it takes to support it.

You may have noticed the following banner on my site the last couple of days:

I placed that banner on my site in hopes that others will support the Red Cross as they continue to show their dedication to caring for the injured, but the banner is barely necessary. For the first time in history, the entire country is freely giving blood, money, and time to organizations such as the American Red Cross without even being asked, simply to support them as they do all they can do to care for Americans.

On Friday, September 14th President Bush called for a national day of prayer and remembrance. In the National Cathedral in Washington, DC such noted individuals as Billy Gram came up and spoke to Americans and indeed to the world about the worldwide need for God. It moved me to my soul to see on every major television network people praising God and calling for Nationwide repentance. Then President Bush got up and spoke as well, again pleading with Americans that we turn to God in these dark times.

At my school, a public college, students and faculty gathered around the flagpole to sing such patriotic songs as The Star Spangled Banner, and God Bless America. After which we held a moment of silence, and many many got on their knees and prayed, calling out to God to heal our land.

Here's a quick word to all of you who are calling to God for healing, I bring you this promise from the only book in the world with the answers:

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The country has noticeably humbled itself and has sought the face of God in prayer, turning from Wickedness to the light. I believe this promise was written in the Bible thousands of years ago. I believe that God has heard our prayers from Heaven, and WILL heal our land.

I am deeply encouraged that our land is being healed right as I am writing this, and at a time when we need it most.

As for Terrorism, I am sure that most of my Starfleet friends will agree with me when I quote Captain Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek: First Contact

They Invade our Space, and we fall back, they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back, not again, the line must be drawn here, this far, no further, and I will make them pay for what they've done.

The terrorists tried to tear apart the very heart of the USA, indeed the very heart of the World, but they will not succeed. Humanity is stronger than Terrorism. Mankind is stronger than destruction. The animals who committed this atrocious act must be brought to justice. But I want you to make no mistake, This was an isolated incident. The worst parts of the chapters after the violent acts were the parts where people go and throw pipe bombs into Muslim Mosques just because we believe that the people who did this were Muslims. That is madness.

The act of a few individuals does not constitute the acts of an entire religion. Please, end these acts, they are no different than the acts of the terrorists themselves. The Terrorists bundled all Americans as the enemy and attacked civilians. Those people who are setting fire to mosques are bundling all Muslims as the enemy, what is the difference?

The reason this act of terror was so much more horrible than if they had simply attacked military targets is because they were going after civilians, civilians not military.

I agree 100% that the people who committed this grievous act must be brought to justice, but that is not my job. I support the investigation of the US Government as they look for the true originators of this crime, and I do not hold responsible others just because they happen to prescribe to the same religion or the same race.

Make no mistake, the perpetrators of this crime will be brought to justice, if not in this world, then in the next.

Well, I've talked your ears off enough I suppose. Have a great day.