Residents remember Sept. 11, look forward

By Grace Meiners

Published Sept. 12, 2007

Columbia residents gathered for a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at Courthouse Square to remember the lives lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks six years ago.

The gathering, sponsored by the Columbia Peace Coalition, was intended to educate and strengthen the peace community while providing a safe place for people to reflect and move forward from the attacks, according to event organizer Gregg Bush.

"Whenever we talk about the world of 9/11, we talk about a world of war," Bush said. "We want to talk about the world of 9/12, and that world involves forgiveness."

To promote the world moving forward, Bush invited two psychologists from the community, Taleb Khairallah and Laura Schopp, to speak at the event.

"They are the professionals in the community who help us through times of trauma that many people still experience," he said.

Khairallah spoke about the impact government and pop culture have on Americans' ideas of war and terrorism. By developing an exaggerated negative image of the enemy, he said the administration is able to justify its actions in wartime. Khairallah referred to the Department of Homeland Security's Color-coded Threat Level System as an "intelligent scheme" to raise people's anxiety without providing an outlet to relieve their anxiety, which he said makes the masses more susceptible to following leaders.

After Khairallahm spoke, local human rights activist Iman Sandra Labadia talked about "Being a Mother in a Time of War."

"Children see gross actions going unpunished," Labadia said. "How do we explain the violence of war?"

Labadia shared her goals of incorporating peace education into schools, churches and homes. She received applause when she said it is America's duty to rebuild Iraq and to be held accountable for the suffering spouses and children of soldiers.

Schopp, the final speaker, said people need to take a "mindful approach" to taking a stand against violence.

Schopp, a professor at MU, condemned the practice of the administration using tragedy for its own ends. She said she believes the majority of Americans would not have supported the U.S. involvement in Iraq if they had known the long-term effects.

A group from Midwest Chocolate, a local rap production company, and dancers from Poetry-in-Motion also performed at the event in support of peace.