Terrorism, coral-list

[Jim Hendee]

Re: Spate of viruses:

On second thought, I'm not going to let the dirty rotten scoundrels who
write viruses e-Terrorize our great club of coral researchers and
enthusiasts by shutting down coral-list, even temporarily--I believe I
have enough protection installed to protect list subscribers (mainly
through moderation of the list, which I will do temporarily), and I hope
you have installed the latest virus checker on your computer.  Please
resume sending whatever coral news you feel is appropriate to the list.

And in that spirit, I think I speak for all Americans in thanking our
international colleagues who have sent us their messages of condolences
during this enormous national tragedy, the massacre of thousands in our
country at the hands of unconscionable zealots on September 11, 2001. This
great nation and the freedom it stands for will not be intimidated, but
will endure and triumph.

I leave you with a quote (which I personally feel applies to the plight of
corals, as well as to our national sadness) from Sir Winston Churchill,
and a message from the Canadian broadcaster, Gordon Sinclair.

~~~~~~
"For myself, I am an optimist.  It does not seem to be much use being
anything else."
                        -- Sir Winston Churchill
~~~~~~

    From a Canadian newspaper some time ago:

    America: The Good Neighbor.

     Widespread but only partial news coverage was given
    recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from
    Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television
    commentator. What follows is the full text of his
    trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:
    "This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the
    Americans as the most generous and possibly the least
    appreciated people on all the earth.

     Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and
    Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the
    Americans who poured in billions of dollars and
    forgave other billions in debts. None of these
    countries is today paying even the interest on its
    remaining debts to the United States.

     When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956,
    it was the Americans who propped it up, and their
    reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets
    of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

     When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the
    United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59
    American communities were flattened by tornadoes.
    Nobody helped.

    The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
    billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now
    newspapers in those countries are writing about the
    decadent, warmongering Americans.

    I'd like to see just one of those countries that
    is gloating over the erosion of the United States
    dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country
    in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo
    Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10?
    If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the
    International lines except Russia fly American Planes?

    Why does no other land on earth even consider putting
    a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese
    technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German
    technocracy, and you get automobiles.

    You talk about American technocracy, and you find
    men on the moon -! not once, but several times -
    and safely home again.

    You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs
    right in the store window for everybody to look at.
    Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded.
    They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless
    they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American
    dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

    When the railways of France, Germany and India
    were breaking down through age, it was the Americans
    who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and
    the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an
    old caboose. Both are still broke.

    I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced
    to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name
    me even one time when someone else raced to the
    Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside
    help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

    Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one
    Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get
    kicked around. They will come out of this thing with
    their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled
    to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating
    over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of
    those."

    Stand proud, America!


~~~~~~~
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