DJ GriZ's blog: "rangers rant"

Dear terrorist,

I am an American and you don't know me.

I am nobody in particular but I am also all Americans, and you don't know me.

I am an American and you have bowed my head, but it is not bowed in defeat or resignation. My head is bowed in prayer and in sorrow, and you don't know me.

The fact that you don't know me will be why you will be defeated.

Where you cannot and will not accept or allow differences of opinion or religion in you midst I accept it. You don't know me.

America is often a very noisy place because we openly showcase our differences of opinion and conviction. You see that as dissention, and indeed we have those who shamefully use our differences for that purpose, but it is really the way we reach a consensus. You permanently eliminate anyone who differs with you. We shout at each other and often laugh when it is over. You don't know me.

America accepts Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Sikhs, Taoists, and Muslims too. We accept people from every country in the world. Where you try to eliminate anyone different than yourself, we recognize and celebrate that it is our differences that have created the beautiful multicolored tapestry we call America and Americans will defend those differences when threatened. You don't know me.

You are now being threatened and you stand alone. We too are now threatened but we stand together. You don't know me.

Iron is a strong element but it is also brittle and can be corroded. If you add other elements and compounds to iron you can create a metal alloy that resists cracking and corrosion. Your acceptance of only a single culture is like iron. Because we accept and incorporate a wide variety of cultures we are like an alloy. You don't know me.

In the conflict to come, should you win, you will shout in jubilation. Should we win, and we will, we will be happy to have prevailed, but we will be also be saddened at the losses..... even yours. You don't know me.

I am just one person, but I am also an American..... I am all Americans..... and we will defeat you..... because you don't know me.