Cliff's
Terrorism
Diaries
MONDAY... January 7, 2002—Ground
Zero Plus 118
THE EPIPHANY OF TERRORISM &
THE EPIPHANY OF VIGILANCE
by
Cliff McKenzie
Editor, New York City Combat Correspondent News
Yesterday, Christians around the world celebrated the Feast of the
Epiphany. It was the day, according to Christian
history, that Christ was manifested to the Gentiles—the Magi who had come
from afar, guided by a star.
Symbolically,
the
Magi
represent
all
humanity—people
of
different
races,
colors
and
creeds.
Their
message:
God
is
present
in
human
affairs,
regardless
of
nation
or
race.
By
modern
standards,
they
were
United
Nations
ambassadors.
I
thought about the Epiphany of Terrorism in relation to this holy day of
Christian history. On September 11, Terrorism presented an
epiphany to the world. It manifested itself to civilized, modern
society. Its message was: Terrorism is present in all human affairs,
regardless of a nation's race, color, creed or its status in global society
as the most powerful nation.
I found
the history of the Christian Epiphany parallel in ways to that of
Terrorisms'. After Christ's death, the Christian movement was
considered radical. They were "religious Terrorists," trying
to change the social and political structure. Hunted and banished, Christians
hid in catacombs, deep in the earth, surviving in tunnels and caves
to avoid the wrath of those above the ground who treated them as vermin, persecuting them
and their ideas. Like bin
Laden and his group of “horror bandits,” Christians held their
meetings and worships deep in the bowels of the earth, next to the bones
of the dead, secluded in
dank and dim surroundings.
It wasn’t until the 4th
Century that Constantine
the Great offered them the right of free exercise in maters of faith and worship.
Christianity came out of the caves, rising to the surface of the world.
Its tenents and dogma began to spread. Two-thousand years
later, it consumes over one-third of globe, and is the dominate religion of
Western Culture. The following poll was recently published from ABC News.
|
Religion in the U.S. vs. the World:  |
|
|
United States |
World |
|
Christian |
83% |
33 |
|
No religion |
13 |
15 |
|
All non-Christian religions |
4 |
52 |
| |
Terrorism
often
hides
its
cruelty
behind
religious
conviction.
It
assumes
a
posture
of
“righteousness”
that
often
confuses
those
who
try
to
condemn
it.
A
well
quoted
statement
from
Ronald
Reagan
regarding
the
Taliban
during
their
battle
with
the
Russians
in
Afghanistan
illustrates
the
paradox:
“One
nation’s
freedom
fighters
is
another’s
terrorists.”
On
the
day
of
Christian
Epiphany,
January
6,
much
of
the
world
celebrates
the
concept
of
“good
over
evil,”
and
“right
over
wrong.”
Paradoxically,
Terrorists
who
cower
behind
the
religious
shield
of
their
convictions,
claim
their
acts
are
of
the
same
order—that
they
are
fighting
“evil”
as
they
define
it--at
the
expense
of
the
weak,
the
helpless.
Unlike
the
Christian
doctrine
that
the
"meek
shall
inherit
the
world,"
Terrorism
believes
that
"terror
and
violence
will
inherit
the
world."
There
is
a
critical
difference
in
the
celebration
of
the
Christian
Epiphany
and
Terrorism’s
Epiphany.
The
former
is
based
on
the
philosophy
of
“Do
unto
your
neighbor
as
you
would
have
them
do
unto
you,”
and
the
later:
“Do
onto
the
innocent
and
helpless
in
hopes
we
might
intimidate,
cause
fear,
and
create
complacency
in
them
to
prove
our
self-righteous
power.”
Terrorism’s
Epiphany—it’s
manifestation
to
the
civilized
world—came
wrapped
in
a
gift
of
“horror” that
was
delivered
on
September
11.
Terrorism's
gift
was
quite
unlike
the
Magi'
to
the
Christ
Baby.
They
offered
gold,
frankincense
and
myrrh.
Terrorism's
three
Magi
brought
gifts
of
death,
destruction.
In
Christian
history,
the
Magi—the
“three
Kings
who
followed
the
Star
of
Bethlehem
to
pay
their
respects
to
Jesus’
birth—are
claimed
to
offer
testimony
that
God
is
present
in
all
human
affairs.
Since
they
weren’t
Jewish
but
rather
Gentiles,
their
cosmopolitan
nature
symbolizes
that
God
can
find
believers
among
all
people.
They
were
"door
openers"
to
a
concept
of
"peace"
and
"brotherly
love."
The
Terrorists
of
September
11
were
Magi
of
another
order.
They
brought
the
message
that
Terrorism
can
and
will
attack
the
strongest
of
nations.
And
that
its
virus
of
hate
and
fear
and
horror
can
infect
anyone,
anytime,
anyplace.
Insecurity
and
intimidation
were
wrapped
in
their
gifts.
They
told
the
world
the
safest
among
us
are
no
longer
protected
from
Terrorism’s
reach.
They
reminded
us
we
can
ever
afford
again
to
think,
or
believe,
or
allow
complacency
that
we
are
“safe”
to
dominate
our
thinking.
There
is
some
good
in
that
message.
Like
the
Christians
of
the
first
three
centuries,
we
must
climb
out
of
our
caves
of
safety
and
security
where
we
have
lived
in
peace
and
harmony
from
assaults
from
without,
and
join
the
rest
of
the
world
on
the
surface
of
Terrorism.
We
can
no
longer
rely
on
the
delusion
that
modern
civilization
is
immune
from
attack
by
the
uncivilized
warriors
of
hate
and
envy.“
In
the
aftermath
of
Terrorism's
Epiphany,
another
Epiphany
has
occurred.
I
call
it
the
Epiphany
of
the
Sentinels
of
Vigilance.
These
are
our
Magi.
These
are
the
"gifts"
we
received
from
the
holocaust.
Out
of
the
twisted
metal
and
rubble
of
the
destruction
from
Nine
Eleven,
has
come
an
awareness
of
Vigilance
we
can
ill
afford
to
let
evaporate
from
our
daily
lives.
As
time
marches
forward,
and
the
desire
to
“forget
the
past
and
get
on
with
life
as
normal”
nags
at
us,
the
Magi
of
Vigilance
come
to
lay
gifts
at
our
feet--gifts
far
more
valuable
than
gold,
or
frankincense,
or
myrrh.
Our
valued
gifts
from
September
11
are
the
Sentinels
of
Vigilance.
They
represent
one
body,
comprising
the
souls
of
all
those
who
died
that
day.
They
are
a
potpourri
of
humanity--Magi
of
all
different
races,
colors
and
creeds.
They
are
the
innocent,
the
helpless,
the
mothers
and
fathers,
grandparents,
brothers,
sisters,
cousins,
uncles
and
aunts
and
loved
ones
who
gave
their
lives
that
day
to
remind
us
that
Terrorism
must
be
fought
forever.
They
are
our
"Sentinels
of
Security,"
men
and
women
from
eighty
different
countries
who
sacrificed
their
lives
so
we
might
never
forget
to
be
vigilant
against
enemies
both
from
without,
or
within
our
nation.
I
believe
they
stand
above
the
World
Trade
Center
and
Pentagon,
and
hover
over
a
quiet
field
in
Pennsylvania.
They
peer
out
toward
the
horizons,
holding
a
wreath
of
peace
in
one
hand,
and
keep
their
other
hand
at
the
ready
of
the
hilt
of
their
Sword
Of
Vigilance.
Their
mission
is
to
remind
us
to
constantly
fight
off
the
three
gifts
of
horror
the
Magi
of
Terror
brought
when
their
planes
smashed
into
the
womb
of
America—
the
gifts
of
fear,
intimidation
and
complacency--the
lifeblood
of
Terrorism.
The
Sentinels
of
Vigilance
offer
us
three
Shields
of
Vigilance
to
ward
off
Terrorism's
attacks--1.)
“conviction,”
to
fight
“intimidation;”
2.)
“courage”
to
battle
“fear,”
and
3.)
“action”
to
drive
away
“complacency.”
The
Epiphany
of
Terrorism
cannot
be
neglected. It
manifested
itself
on
September
11.
I
laid
ugliness
and
horror
at
the
feet
of
the
civilized
world.
If
we
turn
our
backs
on
Terrorism,
pretending
it
has
gone
away
back
to
the
caves,
to
the
catacombs
from
which
it
surfaced,
we
expose
ourselves,
our
children,
our
neighborhoods,
our
communities
and
our
nations.
We
become
vulnerable
to
the
next
bin
Laden;
we
open
the
door
to
his
or
her
Magi
of
Terror.
However,
if
we
become
Citizens
of
Vigilance,
if
we
take
the
Pledge
of
Vigilance--if
we
fight
to
understand
the
roots
of
Terrorism
within
ourselves,
our
children
and
our
society--we
honor
the
Sentinels
of
Vigilance
who
sacrificed
their
lives
for
us.
We
use
the
three
Shields
of
Vigilance
they
gave
to
us
in
such
a
way
as
to
protect
ourselves
from
future
harm
either
to
our
physical
or
emotional
security.
Today,
you
can
become
part
of
the
Epiphany
of
the
Sentinels
of
Vigilance. You
can
manifest
your
belief
in
their
presence,
and
in
what
they
stand
for.
It
begins
by
taking
a
moment
to
read
the
Pledge
of
Vigilance.
After
reading
it,
think
about
the
power
and
potential
its
principles
offer
to
help
you,
your
children,
your
loved
ones,
and
our
society
combat
“fear,”
“intimidation,”
and
“complacency”
in
our
daily
lives.
If
you
decide
to
take
the
Pledge
of
Vigilance,
which
I
hope
you
will,
you
will
become
a
Magi—offering
a
gift
of
peace
and
security
to
the
world.
And,
you
can
be
assured,
the
Sentinels
of
Vigilance
will
be
smiling
down
upon
you.
Go
To
Pledge
of
Vigilance
Go
To Daily Diary, Jan. 6--Terror Of The GoatSucker
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