Now the dimwit that stole it will have to find and steal a priceless African dwarf frog to sit on the priceless African dwarf water lily pad. This is what happens every time you take away somebody's rights to own guns. Instead of going out and robbing banks they are reduced to stealing rare water lilies. I pity the poor person if they get caught and slapped in prison... the other prisoners will ask what was your crime? err ahh um I stole a flower. Aw geeze! not another freakin' flower child... what is this world coming to? MOO

An article of resolve Posted by TxKen (My Page) on Thu, Sep 13, 01 at 11:15 I hope you will forgive me...this is our Computer Help Forum..but, it is also our home. As such, the following is most appropriate, it seems... Published Wednesday, September 12, 2001 in the Miami Herald. We'll go forward from this moment It's my job to have something to say. They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering. ------------------------ You monster. You beast. You unspeakable ba***rd. What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed. Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause. Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve. Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together. Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae -- a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though -- peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God. Some people -- you, perhaps -- think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals. IN PAIN Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before. But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice. I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future. In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined. THE STEEL IN US You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold. As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish. So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started. But you're about to learn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow-Up Postings: RE: An article of resolve Posted by: Cat (bilander@nctc.com) on Thu, Sep 13, 01 at 11:27 Thanks Tx Ken. That is extremely well written and speaks for the way we all feel. :-)Cat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: An article of resolve Posted by: DA (da_mccoy@hotmail.com) on Thu, Sep 13, 01 at 14:07 I also thank you for sharing the article with us. It made me think of a quote attributed to Japanese Admiral Yamamoto as celebrations took place on his flag ship following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I don't remember it word for word, but the idea is unmistakenable, "I fear that we have done nothing more than awaken the sleeping bear". If you have an opportunity, listen to the old version of Kate Smith's "God Bless America". At this time, if it doesn't invoke your patriotism nothing will. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: An article of resolve Posted by: Andy_B52a (My Page) on Thu, Sep 13, 01 at 14:24 Just saw a report from London 2 minutes ago that Afganistan has bin Laden under house arrest, under pressure from Pakistan. Rumor? Time will tell. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: An article of resolve Posted by: Grandms (My Page) on Thu, Sep 13, 01 at 16:16 Well, Afghanistan and Pakistan can posture all they want, but heretofore they've done nothing but give him cover and comfort. Trust either of them? Not for a second. The newspaper article tells it just like it is. I'm still sad, but my anger grows and grows....

You're probably right! Go to London and head west is what I meant to say. :)

Thanks, Shrubs n'bulbs. I agree Philadelphus has a gorgeous fragrance but it can be a bit dull out of flower (and get rather big). I had one in the last but one garden but it was a bit odd because I never could detect any scent from it at all. I also fancy a viburnum but which one.....? Actually I think I've got problems - now the trees at the bottom of the gardens of the houses behind us are in full leaf I realise that I lose the sun by 2pm!! Why plant horse chestnut, lime and sycamore in a garden? And the shadow will only get longer each year. I'm tending now to think in terms of foliage and ground cover. My other half is happy - he likes ferns. I love roses, though - am scouring the catalogues for those happy in woodland conditions. At least I get a good window for spring bulbs. Hello, Melanie. Thanks for telling me about Chadwick Park allotments, will investigate. I think I will invest in a little plant house to overwinter my tender plants - I like to keep my ger...sorry, pelargoniums, going from year to year and they will definitely bite the dust. My soil doesn't seem to be clay, though. We had a metre deep trench dug for a new water main and it's nice dark and loamy right the way down. Haven't had the chance to do much digging though as we're still frantically decorating. Plant swapping - great. Especially if I get a plot, will have to grow all the things I can't in a shady garden! What are your favourites? Christina