All over the world people are sharing a profound sadness at the thousands of lives lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, including passengers aboard all four high jacked planes and the firefighters and EMS workers who died during rescue attempts to pull victims out of the rubble. Those of us who did not lose any loved ones in this tragedy are horrified; we can only imagine the pain of those whose loved ones have been confirmed dead, or are still missing.
We applaud the heroism of the firefighters and EMS workers who risked and are risking their lives in the attempts to pull victims out of the building debris. Hundreds of firefighters and EMS workers in New York City died after one of the twin towers collapsed during an early rescue attempt. We especially applaud the heroism of three passengers on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. Apparently they had learned about the attacks on the World Trade Center and wanted to prevent more deaths, so they struggled with the terrorists on board. Instead of crashing into Camp David, or some other intended target, the plane went down in a forested area in Pennsylvania that was not populated.
Some people have suggested that this may be a good time to reexamine U.S. foreign policy, suggesting that past mistakes may have created enemies. While anytime might be a good time to reconsider past mistakes, if this was just about hatred of the U.S. then why attack the World Trade Center where hundreds of victims are citizens of other countries? Eighty nations lost people in that attack. The U.K. lost 300 citizens; Germany and Mexico lost hundreds more. The governments and citizens of most countries have given the U.S. overwhelming moral support and some will be giving their military support as well.
The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) released a statement on the tragedy that was distributed widely via email titled "In Solidarity". In states in part:
