Dear friends, There has to be a better way to treat the currrent situation than bombing civilians in desperate countries. The following ia s petition to the US Government which has alternatives which may just work and in any event are worth trying. Please copy the petition, add your name to the bottom of the list and send it to as many of your friends as you are able to. If you are no. 150 please send it to president@whitehouse.gov and then forward a new copy of the email to your friends with your name as number 1. Thanks Brian

Dear Mr. President, Dear Mr. Vice President,

"- - - Bomb Afghanistan with butter, with rice, bread, clothing and medicine. It will cost less than conventional arms, poses no threat of US casualties and just might get the populace thinking that maybe the Taliban don't have the answers.

After three years of drought and with starvation looming, let's offer the Afghani people the vision of a new future. One that includes full stomachs. Bomb them with information. - - -"

We the undersigned are writing to you at this moment to express our profound sadness at the events of September 11th, and to plead with you and those making the very difficult decisions which have to be made at this time for calm and a non-retaliatory stance. We have all been deeply affected by this tragedy and our hearts and sympathies go to all those who died and to the loved ones they left behind. In the wake of this event there is shock and sadness, and emotions run very high. It is human to want to respond quickly, to find those responsible and ensure that this cannot happen again anywhere.

However, retaliating with more violence only breeds more violence and ensures that future generations will live in fear with mistrust and suffering. We urge you and our fellow citizens to remember that vengeance offers no relief, that retaliation can never guarantee healing and that to meet violence with violence breeds more rage and more senseless deaths. Only love leads to peace with justice.

We believe it is our duty as a civilized nation to rise above the desire for retaliation and to find a way of dealing with this tragedy that is peaceful and good. We do not ask that we ignore that this happened or that those who are responsible not be held accountable. Rather we ask that we lead the world as an example of another way, a better way for all mankind. Further violence and the deaths of more innocent people will not resolve this situation or ensure the safety of future generations.

This is truly an opportunity to show the world that leadership is earned, not imposed through violence and bullying tactics.

Please Mr. President, give us all hope for a future where good will truly prevail over evil, and where violence has no place. Our goal should be to build bridges of love, respect and understanding among all people. This is the only way to ensure that the tragedy of September 11th and similar tragedies around the world do not happen again.

1. Maura Duignan, San Francisco, CA 94110
2. Sarah Ellison, San Francisco, CA 94110
3. Katie Bonier, San Francisco, CA 94114
4. Jane Cote, Somerville, MA 02144
5. Cynthia Pratt, Wellesley, MA 02481
6. Hermine Makman, Cambridge, MA 02138
7. Dorothy Burlage, Newton, MA 02458
8. Emmie Adams, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
9. Joan C. Browning, Ronceverte WV 24970
10. Jean Chalmers, Gainesville, FL 32607
11. Joshua Dickinson III, Gainesville, FL 32608-2120
12. Sarah Dickinson, Gainesville, Florida 32608-2120
13. Beverly Thomas, Gainesville, Florida 32603
14. Virginia Seacrist, Arlington, Virginia 22202
15. John Webb, Branford, Florida, 32008
16. Joni Ellis, Gainesville, FL 32605
17. Will Ellis, Gainesville, FL 32605
18. Cathy DeWitt, Gainesville, FL 32605
19. Neill Vaughan, Bloomington, IN 47401
20. Sarah E. Vaughan, Tallahassee, FL 32316
21. Kathy Maxwell, Athens, GA 30606
22. Margaret Freeman, Athens, GA 30606
23. Thomas G. Camp, Athens, GA 30606
24. Lawrence B. Camp, Morganton, NC 28655
25. Holly F. Camp, Morganton, NC 28655
26. Shannon Carswell, Connelly Springs, NC 28612
27. Barry Carswell, Connelly Springs, NC 28612
28. Eric Biggins, Granite Falls, NC 28630
29. Carolyn Deal, Marshall, NC 28753
30. Steve Andreas Boulder CO 80302
31. Connirae Andreas "
32. Mark Andreas "
33. Loren Andreas "
34. Darian Andreas "
35. Andy Hunt, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
36. Robert Bluck, Hexham, Northumberland, UK
37. Keith Holmes, Desford, Leicestershire, UK
38. Brian Fuller, Chesham, Bucks. UK
39. Hans Dicke, Ostfildern, Germany
40. Ralf Böhm, Denkendorf, Germany
41. Thorsten Nahrup-Nathmann, Dortmund, Germany
42. Steffi Hacker, München, Germany
43. Filiz Karaman, Aachen, Germany
44. Anke Bauer, Aachen, Germany