Faith Will See The Market Through

Dear Sir:
As a small investor using trading tools to construct a piece of the American dream for my family, I have been dismayed by the steady downward spiral of the markets. ("Can Wall Street Recover?" Sept. 13) But I believe that the atrocity perpetrated on America by terrorists will not hasten our descent into a recession/depression, rather it will serve as a catalyst to strengthen our resolve to believe in, invest in and support our country. Our dollars and faith in the economy can be the bullets and bombs aimed at the enemies of our right to prosperity and freedom. I will continue to be bullish on America and will buy long and hold fast.

Go High Or Low Or Not At All?

Dear Sir:
If the Golden Gate Bridge were to fall into the sea, would we go back to ferries? ("Is the Superscraper Obsolete?" Sept. 13) There is always risk in an engineered product that enables our quality of living. The size of the building is more about land values, real estate and economics. What caused the horrible disaster was not tall buildings and speeding airplanes but complacency about security and personal protection. I want to see the World Trade Center replaced with a new symbol of financial strength and a monument to those that paid the price with their lives.

Dear Sir:
I heard a radio discussion today about how Purdue University rebuilt their bell tower "one brick higher" after it burned many years ago and the suggestion to do the same with the Twin Towers. Rather than build a repeat of what was there, could this be an opportunity to open up the skyline and shore of NYC so that the millions of people who live, work and visit there have more than just Central Park as a nature area? We don't have to build "one brick higher" to prove to the world America can bounce back. America will learn from this and be a better nation for it--an attitude that countries in the Middle East don't seem to have, as they often remain stuck in histories of anger, hate, revenge and retribution. I think given the opportunity, landscape architects, architects, technologists and engineers may be able to create something that is an inspiration, rather than a repeat of what was.

Dear Sir:
I found the article interesting; however it is off of the mark. I believe the sentiment will probably be to rebuild the towers with structures even taller--if nothing more than for a symbol of our power and resolve.

Dear Sir:
I agree that the days of the giant high-rises should be over. I remember arguments and controversy when the Twin Towers in NYC were only in the planning stage. Many New Yorkers then were against such high-rise buildings. We do not need massive buildings, we need more well-constructed buildings and more security measures taken in this country. I hope that if anything is rebuilt, it will be somewhat lower and also have a chapel and a memorial to the people who lost their lives in this terrible catastrophe. May the souls of all who perished rest in peace and may their families find comfort in this time of mourning.

Making Flights Safe

Dear Sir:
I don't feel that America needs more ground security in its airports as anyone dedicated to killing themselves will get past security. ("Is Air Security Secure Enough?" Sept. 12) Outlawing knives on planes isn't going to solve problems either--people can make a weapon out of a stick or a bottle, both of which are perfectly legal to take on planes.

Consistent application of current safety measures and thinking outside the box is what's required to ensure safer flights. The cockpit door should be reinforced and locked at all times except for authorized ingress/egress and at the first sign of trouble, pilots should dump fuel and hit an alarm button. The FAA and the military could also be alerted when a plane veers off course. Those suggestions won't solve every problem, but I couldn't believe that no one knew where the hijacked planes were--even after they had crashed into the WTC and the Pentagon.

The Country's Duty

Dear Sir:
Whether or not Osama bin Laden directed the attack on freedom-loving people, it is important to note that in spite of his enormous wealth he doesn't live in his home country of Saudi Arabia. ("Bush, Nation Respond To Faceless Enemy," Sept. 12) Instead, he has chosen to hide in a very poor neighboring country that he can probably pay to allow him to stay. He appears to be very clever in this choice because any attack on such an undeveloped country by a nation with the military might of the U.S. would normally be regarded as unacceptable in the court of global public opinion. But this time bin Laden didn't kill ten or 20 people. And this time even the supportive Taliban realizes the magnitude of the crime. It seems the timing is finally right for an extraordinary effort to make an unforgettable example of this cowardly criminal. God bless America!

Dear Sir:
Who is responsible for these terrible acts of war? To blame a single individual or group of individuals is to be deceived as no individual can commit such carnage, only governments can. Training on the massive scale that led to the World Trade Center and Pentagon destruction can only occur with the sanction of a government. Such a government must be eliminated if civilization is to survive. Half-measures will not do. Ineffective cruise missile strikes from thousands of miles away directed at empty tents will betray our weakness and only embolden the people bent on the destruction of the West and therefore hasten our demise. We must show the world that we intend to defend each American's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That will be the end of terrorism.

Keeping Tabs On The Lost

Dear Sir:
Thank you for putting faces to some of these people who lost their lives in this horrible tragedy. ("Counting The Dead," Sept. 12) It helps to have pictorial images of these folks that we'd like to pray for and their families. God Bless America!

The United States Will Persevere

Dear Sir:
Remember the World Trade Center and the countless innocent lives that were taken from us today. (U.S. Attacked; World Trade Center Destroyed)The primary role of the government is to protect its citizens and in turn we must come together to support the United States government in its effort to track down the perpetrators of this heinous act.

These cowardly terrorists have just awakened a sleeping giant beyond compare, the United States, and this giant now has unanimous public and world support to seek the annihilation of the terrorists themselves, the causes they represent and those who choose to harbor them. Our prayers go out to all the victims of this cowardly action, to their family and friends and to the United States of America.