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Caliifornia State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Created: September 18, 2001
Latest Update: September 20, 2001
E-Mail jeannecurran@habermas.org
E-Mail takata@uwp.edu

Sharing the Site
from the Week of September 17, 2001 - Week 4

Sharing Our Tears and Our Prayers

Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individual Authors: September 2001.
"Fair use" encouraged.

"I am very sorry to report . . ." Journal entry by Susan

On Wednesday, September 19, Susan wrote:

check this out. hitting close to home, again.

susan

Forwarded message
Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001
Subject: Death of Orlando's Son
Dear ASC Minority Affairs Colleagues,

I am very sorry to report that Orlando Rodriguez's son was a victim of the terrorist attack in NYC. There is a very moving article in today's NY Daily News. Orlando's restraint in the face of his personal loss is, as you will read, is amazing! I am sure that you will want to join me in expressing your sympathy to him. His address is on the ASC website. The NY Daily News article is at: http://www.nydailynews.com/2001-09-18/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-125616.asp

"Why did they do this to us?"
Journal entry by Emily Klug, UWP

On Thursday, September 20, Emily Klug wrote:

Forwarded from Susan:

emily, good. i've cc'ed jeanne and tried to edit out the other stuff that is not part of your response/reaction.

jeanne, i tried to clean up the message so that you can put it up faster. but it's a slow process.

susan

On Wed, 19 Sep 2001, Emily Klug wrote:

Susan
I read the story about Orlando Rodriguez losing his son. It is a very sad story. I think worst off all is how he has to tell his students that his son is dead. I honestly don't know what I would do if I lost someone in that tragic attack. Like Orlando said, nothing will ever be the same again. I do agree with him on the point he made about going to war with the Middle East. I don't think it will solve anything, but cause more innocent people to die. I don't think any of the innocent people over there in Pakistan or Afganistan should have to go through what millions are suffering from here. I just don't think that killing people because [someone harbored in their country] they killed us solves anything. Like Orlando said again, we are better than that. But on the other hand, how do you punish them for doing this to us? Why did they do this to us? I don't think I have even heard anything on that yet. It seems sometimes that we are so worried about taking revenge we don't stop and think reasonably first. But I do think for sure that something has to be done, I just don't know what. What they did to us was not right, and they should be punished.

Emily Klug

On Thursday, September 20, 2001, jeanne responded:

Emily, I'm going to ask Vance Peavey if he'll answer this. I gotta run to school now. I'm late. More later . . .

love and peace, jeanne

Kerry Journal entry by Kerry Partika
This piece is still under construction, but it's readable. jeanne

On Thursday, September 20, 2001, Kerry Partika wrote:

Kerry, that's beautiful. Ii'll try to get it up this afternoon. jeanne

At 07:57 PM 9/20/2001 -0700, you wrote:

Jeanne,

Mr. Rodriguez just sent me this letter and i thought that you might be interested in seeing what he had to say in response to my letter. I was so surprised to get a letter back from him. I figured that he was too busy too respond. i guess that this just goes to show that there are kind people in the world.

Kerry Partika

From: ORRODRIGUEZ
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 11:59 AM
To: Kerry Partika
Subject: Re: thoughts and prayers from California

Dear Kerry:

Thanks for your beautiful thoughts and thank your professor for us. I am proud to be in a profession that reacts so humanely to public and private grief.

You and your like-minded friends can do something if you find it in your hearts. Put political pressure on our elected officials to resist violence against innocent people abroad.

Thanks again for your letter.

Sincerely,

Orlando Rodriguez

"Kerry Partika"

Subject: thoughts and prayers from California

09/19/01

Dear Mr. Rodriguez,

We don't know each other, but I am a student at California State University Dominguez Hills. Our professor shared your story with us today regarding your losing your son in the world trade center disaster. I read the article in the New York Daily News as well. I realize that you have a lot on your mind these days but i thought that you might like to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. I wish that there was more that I could say. However, I can't even begin to describe how I feel about this situation and I am sure that you don't have time to hear it. I do want you to know though that I completely agree with everything that you said in the New York Daily News article, as does the rest of my Sociology class at CSUDH. i sincerely hope that you as well as the rest of the victims of the disaster last week know that you have the entire nation thinking and praying for you. Although we may not be experiencing the same degree of pain that you are, our hearts are still aching for everyone effected. You and your family will remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Kerry Partika