October
2001
Editor’s
Note
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In the wake of the calamitous events of September
11th, the Satya staff decided to postpone the articles we
had prepared for our October issue. Since everyone’s hearts
and minds were grappling with the shocking destruction and loss of
life, the
topics of the planned
articles seemed relatively meaningless. As we groped around for a
way that Satya might address the disaster and despair, we
kept coming back to one question: Where do we go from here? As people
who are committed
to ahimsa—a life of absolute nonviolence—how do we respond to
the terrible violence we witnessed? How do we remain committed to nonviolence
in the face of such devastation when the most obvious—and understandable—reaction
is to strike back? Is it ethical to demand justice even if it involves
violence? Why did this happen? And what role does religion play in
it,
if any?
As the foot of our beloved city smoldered, we decided that the service
that Satya could provide would be to draw on voices to help
us sort some of this out and look for ways to move forward. We asked
a number
of people to write their reflections, and we pored through tons of
material from various points of view. What we’ve come up with is an assortment
of essays and commentaries that we hope will help as you struggle with
the questions we’re all asking.
So, where do we go from here? Just read on.
Catherine Clyne
