Writing from Washington, DC

By Julie Atlas

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America got bombed with commercial airplanes yesterday. Have you heard?

Innocent people died in DC and NYC.

Anyone see the pictures of the people jumping? How about the total collapse of that wing of the Pentagon?

All for what? Does anyone really know?

I have carpet people coming today to install a runner on my stairs. They are from Egypt. My neighbors across the street are Palestinian (my husband is Jewish). The guy who books bands where my band plays once a month is from Afghanistan, so are the guys who work behind the bar. I never thought much about it until yesterday.

They just busted a group of "Bin Lauden supporters" in a housing development right near my work.

TV shows, newspapers, radio shows - all talk of devastation and death.

In DC? Are they sure? I thought we were safe here, this is where the President lives.

I drive by the Pentagon every day - it's 10 minutes from my house.

TEN MINUTES.

I know people who were in NYC and the Pentagon yesterday.

This was not just war on the US - this was war on the world. I hope that all of you, your friends and your family, in America and around the world, will ban together as one army to fight this kind of terror.

Last night, watching the singing of "God Bless America" I was reminded of Whooville- from the popular Christmas story - The Grinch. You all remember that story, right?

The Grinch does whatever he can to take away Christmas from Whooville. But even after he's taken away all of their lights, their trees, their food and their gifts - they still join together to sing about the spirit of Christmas.

And so should all Americans today and from now on. We will not allow our spirit of Freedom to suffer at the hands of anyone.

We will continue to sing.

God Bless America.

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