October 2001
Standing Firm in Chile
by Owen Lippert
That afternoon, the sun in Santiago shone stronger than it had since April. The light and heat seemed out of keeping with the 3 o’clock event at the Santiago Community Church. The US embassy had requested a memorial service for the victims of terrorism in New York and Washington, DC. Still, the sun shone as brightly as it had in those cities on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
I was glad to go to Friday’s memorial service. Friends in New York and Washington said that they planned to attend similar services. That Santiago had one, too, brought us all a little closer.
The church was full. About 300 people attended. They were mostly American, but also Canadians, Chileans, and others. Canada’s new ambassador, Patrick Parizot, was there. Church wardens brought out extra benches, but still people had to stand along the sides. The service consisted mostly of prayers and hymns.
Reverend Sam Mateer delivered the address. The gist of what he said is important. He started with a story from the bible. Israelites approach Jesus to say that Romans have killed innocent Jews at the Temple. Jesus tells them that those killed had no blame. They did not die because God did not love them. It is that God loves all of us too much to take away our personal responsibility for choosing our own path to God. Men will do evil in this world. Needless death persists because of man’s own confusion, not because of God’s lack of compassion.
The event ended with a singing of the Star Spangled Banner, both the first and the second verse. As a Canadian, it did not seem strange to sing the US national anthem. Le Monde, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Margaret Wente of the Globe and Mail have all commented, "We are Americans now."
We are Americans now. And Americans are us. We are all individuals from free countries. We have together achieved comparative peace and stability, democracy, the rule of law, and the relatively free exchange of goods and services.
Terrorists create evil because they no longer accept what is right and just. On wanton murder, mankind has found agreement. The Bible, the Koran, and the Torah all condemn slaughter. Unjustifiable murder can only flow from selfish men.
The terrorists who killed these 5,000 or more "Americans" had their own self-proclaimed reasons. Whatever these reasons, they do not stand any moral, ethical or religious test. Economic disparity, religious fervor, or nationalist pride cannot justify the murder of innocent people without warning, and without any meaningful context such as a legal state of war.
To bring this all back to Canadians living in Chile, we live and work here because rules and respect exist. Terrorists argue by their actions that only force and fear govern. As small, but influential countries, Canada and Chile flourish because each respects the values of other free nations as they respect our values.
America and Americans need our support now more than ever. That may sound strange, as the US has a far larger economy and military presence than we do. Yet, they do need us. Thoughtful and sensible Americans know that no good will come of sullen, solitary vengeance. That is why President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell have sought the support of America’s allies.
It does not befit Canadians to feel secretly smug. We are no terrorist’s target — yet. We have much to lose by not supporting fully the US at this extraordinary moment. Its needs are not physical, but psychological, though aid for the latter is often measured by the amount given in the former. They need reassurance they are not alone, however powerful.
We also have the most to gain by supporting the US. That gain is not about securing some advantage vis a vis the US. It is about strengthening our own courage. We now need to stand firmly for the international rules and respect that have given us such remarkable opportunities.
As the sun returns to Santiago, we — Canadians, Americans and Chileans — should feel better, not by forgetting our losses, but by deepening our understanding of what we rejoice in common.
Owen Lippert (owenl@fraserinstitute.ca) is a Senior Fellow in Law and Markets at The Fraser Institute. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. He currently lives in Chile.
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