Put your money where
your patriotism is

Tuesday's attacks on New York and Washington were acts of war. Unlike in "regular" wars, it seems harder for Americans to know how to react. During World War II or Vietnam or the Gulf War, we knew what to do, whether it was to enlist in the military, buy war bonds, protest against the government or tie yellow ribbons to our trees.

Today, it's not so clear. So we pray, and we donate blood, and we cheer those who vow revenge on the shadowy villains who shattered our peace. There is another thing we should do, a patriotic gesture that could prove critical: Don't bail out of the U.S. stock market. The World Trade Center was more than an icon, it was the epicenter for hundreds of companies now decimated by the attack. The terrorists who destroyed it chose it not only for its imagery, but also for its importance to the United States' financial health.

These terrorists seek to destroy not only our sense of safety but also our economy. I do not make this suggestion lightly, and stand to lose money myself if the stock market crashes. But somehow, bailing out now would seem unAmerican.

Christine Donnelly

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