Too late for moderation.

Sir, in the past month we have surely seen both the worst, and the best, of human nature. Images of the worst will remain with us for a very long time, probably forever. But we also witnessed the nobility of the human spirit, in the many deeds of heroism and self-sacrifice in the aftermath of the appalling events of September 11th. We saw unbelievable courage from people who, just as we had that morning, set out to earn a living, go shopping, or do any other of those countless little things that make up life. A few hours later, thousands of them lay burned and crushed under the rubble of the World Trades Centre towers. Still reeling from this enormity, we then saw obscene images of people actually celebrating the carnage and destruction. We were informed that the perpetrators, who had so coldly planned and executed this act of terror, were not only given refuge by a particular state, (namely Afghanistan,) but actively sponsored by it. Retaliation has begun, as it must. I do not see eye-to-eye with Tony Blair on many issues, but I have to agree when he says that to do nothing would be more dangerous than the present action. Do we want to live in the coming years in fear of the next atrocity? The freedom we enjoy has to be upheld. It has cost a lot, including two devastating world wars. I fear, sadly, that it will costmore. There will be voices of moderation, and caution, exercising their right to be heard. They have that luxury, a benefit of a free society, too easily taken for granted. They must be heard; and no, we must not forget that not all Moslems are terrorists; they are not. Neither are all terrorists Moslems. But there is a time for moderation, and caution, and a time to say