An Open Letter to a Terrorist, as heard on WMAL Radio, Washington, DC
by Charles Brennan of Florida ( as read on WMAL Radio )

Well, you hit the World Trade Center, but you missed America. You hit the Pentagon, but you missed America. You used helpless American bodies to take out other American bodies, but like a poor marksman, you STILL missed America.

Why? Because of something you guys will never understand. America isn't about a building or two, not about financial centers, not about military centers. America isn't about a place, America isn't even about a bunch of bodies.

America is about an IDEA. An idea that you can go some place where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to, live for the most part like you envisioned living, and pursue Happiness.

We live in a country where we don't have to see your point. But you're free to have one. We don't have to listen to your speech. But you're free to give one.

There's a spirit that tends to take over people who come to this country, looking for opportunity, looking for liberty, looking for freedom. Even if they misuse it. You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in America, America lives in US!

American spirit is what it's called. And killing a few thousand of us, or a few million of us, won't change it. Most of the time, it's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of spirit. Until we are crossed in a cowardly manner, then it becomes an entirely different kind of spirit.

Wait until you see what we do with that spirit this time.

Sleep tight, if you can. We're coming.