As the president wisely said, America is being tested. This test is not just of our military strength, but also the strength of our character and the power of our wisdom. As we take moments to contemplate our pain, we find that there are two distinct needs.

We need justice. The people who are responsible must be held accountable. But it is crucial that that we do indeed hurt all, and only, those who are responsible. Taking the lives of innocent men, women, and children will only add disgrace to our pain, and stoke the fires of hate.

We have to do something so that Americans and America will be safe from such horrors in the future. More espionage, fancier security devices at airports, a missile defense shield – none of this will make the fundamental, necessary difference. As long as there are people in this world who feel alienated from the process of legitimate politics, they will find ways to use violence to get their point across.

Over the long term, the only feasible strategy is for America to lead the world in the process of civilizing it, not by hegemonic force but by the rule of law. We need a global law enforcement infrastructure to interdict and punish perpetrators of such horrors. We need global systems of representation so as to reduce the alienation that drives such people to violence in the first place.

Shirley L. Davis

Orono