A year ago I stood from this soapbox and pointed the finger backwards. When the towers fell, we asked who was responsible. In my column that ran on Sept. 13, 2001, I wrote that while I condemned the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, and could not conceive of a greater tragedy to befall a nation, I believed it was important to realize that the United States was at least partly responsible for its fate.
- Paul Wong
Many had a difficult time swallowing that accusation. Voices of opposition among right-wingers lambasted me for my unpatriotic spirit. In the weeks and months that followed that column’s publication, my own beliefs tumbled about and reshaped, again and again, as I imagine yours did as well. But those questions kept coming back to me: What did we do wrong? What are we doing wrong? What can we do better in the future?
Yesterday Reuters ran a story that reported that over 50 percent of Europeans believe the United States is partly responsible for the events of Sept. 11. Having a majority of Europeans on my side may or may not be something I want to attach to a resum