This is no time for America to give up hope

To the editor:

From here in the heart of our country, a thousand miles away from Tuesday's happenings, I feel strangely inadequate. I look out my window and see cars driving by, students walking to class. I turn on the radio and songs still play. But within my heart, I know that this day will alter the consciousness of America. If the other two terrorist attacks in my memory -- the bombing of the World Trade Center and the Oklahoma tragedy -- didn't say it, this does. We are a fallible nation. Things like this don't just happen in the movies and in Tom Clancy novels. They can, and do, happen to us. But that's no reason to give up hope.

Our nation's leaders have shown that they will not shut down in the face of tragedy. They are already guessing at who might have been behind this and will not stop until they have found the responsible parties. All I can think to do is to believe President Bush when he says that "the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts." But somehow punishment does not seem to be enough. The damage is already done, and all we can do is pray for so many things.

NATALIE JONES

Cape Girardeau