Battle Of Manhattan - The Fanatic vs. The Lady

Two warriors faced off in the City of New York on September 11th, 2001. One warrior was the Lady Liberty, the other was the Fanatic.

The battle was not about water rights, genetically engineered foods, jobs or even taxes. This battle is about freedom and our very right to exist. By the word "our", I mean those who are free or want to be free.

Even though American fixtures such as the Pentagon are seen by some as a source of third world oppression, it is the same organization that saved the world from the last Fanatic. And the World Trade Center may have been seen as the symbol of the slave master for the third world, however it housed the records and managers of the worlds largest retirement funds where workers from all over the planet have placed their retirement savings. When people write checks to the International Red Cross or World Wildlife Fund, chances are that those account transactions were handled by companies that had offices at the World Trade Center.

But one of the goals of the Fanatic is to accelerate the loss of freedom. We will have more intrusion into personal privacy, impediments to travel and our rights to protest will be heavily curtailed. These mindless attacks are a bane for those of us who strive to change society by peaceful means - through printed words, expressed ideas and marches in the streets.

The Fanatic did make war upon The Lady Liberty and we, you and I, are The Lady. The Fanatic made war upon us, each and every one. So how do we, the physical embodiment of The Lady, fight the Fanatic? By maintaining our resolve to be free. The very act of maintaining freedom is the mightiest weapon that can be used against The Fanatic.

We must be diligent in our efforts to preserve freedom and to continue to press our elected officials to support initiatives that fight terrorism, fundamentalism and extremism of any kind. Other than scale, there is no difference between a pro-environmental bombing of a timber mill and an anti-capitalist destruction of a major world financial center. None. Belief, faith and cause are the foundations of terrorism, fundamentalism and extremism - all of which should be avoided by those who truly embrace freedom.

The Lady does have a very black eye from her battle with the Fanatic on Manhattan Island, but the victorious Fanatic walked away with a death sentence carved heavy upon his brow.