Dear Editor --

I offer this vision, that the President, the House, the Senate, each state legislature, county board, city council -- all the pieces of our government separately issue resolutions renouncing retaliation, like this:

WHEREAS, the sudden massive loss of lives in the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings on 11 September 2001 has opened our eyes as never before;
     Whereas, out of our shock, out of our feeling that the world has changed with this bombing, we suddenly are faced with the opportunity *truly* to change the world;
     Whereas, the only meaningful change is to break the hitherto endless cycle of violence for violence;
     Whereas, the world needs to see in practice that a great and powerful country can absorb violence without returning it in kind;
     Whereas, by taking this one destruction on our home ground and turning it into a gift to the world we can begin to redeem the sacrifice of innocents everywhere;
     Whereas, death comes to each human being in time,
           AND
     Whereas we are at long last sick beyond enduring at the prospect of continuing to inflict violence, suffering, and untimely death anywhere,

Be it resolved THAT
     We, the governments of the United States of America, representing the best of our people's promise, swear off all retaliation for this or any other act of terrorism.

And be it further resolved THAT
     While we will try to protect our people, we accept any future terrorism that may yet reach us;
           AND
     We will never again respond to inflicted death with inflicted death;
           AND
     We will wither in power rather than abandon this new course.
           And FURTHER
     We invite you, all the nations of the world, to follow us into this new world: No retaliation ever again.

I write this as a survivor of Hitler's and Stalin's terrors, and fully mindful that terrorism may yet come to my own home town.