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By Adam Holmberg

(Columnist’s Note: I had intended this column to offer commentary on a salad of issues. That’s why it’s called "New Perspectives" and not "Reaction to World Trade Center Bombing." However, I’m sure you can understand why, at least for this month, I feel the need to deal with the events that are quite literally shaping the future of the world right before our eyes.")

There is a quote that I want to share with you by Aeschylus: "It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath." As the smoke clears from the fall of the first bombs, dropped only ours from the time I write this column, I sit here both nervous and relieved.

Let’s hit the nervous part first. It’s rather simple – I’m almost certain that, by the time this piece is printed, more American civilians will have died. I do not know how many, and I seriously doubt it will be on a catastrophic scale. I think at this point it is the idea of chemical weapons and not the threat that frightens us, and it should – the fear will ensure that we never turn stupid enough to use them on anyone.

But, there is still that danger – that uncertain certainty that something will happen, and it’s scary not knowing what might crumble tomorrow. It frightens me that we actually have to worry that the vice president is safe.

I used to be more certain of the future than I am now. I never understood what it felt like – truly felt like – with the specter of war hanging over my head. I’m 20; the major events of my generation before Sept. 11 seem pretty pitiful in comparison to recent happenings. I never understood how precious the balance was between defending freedom and flind fanaticism. I’ve never had to actually struggle to go on with my normal life, my thoughts so lost elsewhere.

And I’ve never truly realized what bliss it is to lose yourself in art. I have found the true definition of art, and I’ll fight with anyone who tries to tell me it’s something else: art is something that gives us comfort to lose ourselves in, something we can tell ourselves is not real. How awful is it to watch a movie now and revel in the ability to say that the building exploding or the people dying aren’t real?

I mentioned relief as the second part of my emotional palette right now. I feel relieved that the military action is going forward – it’s quashed that fear that we get because of the Clinton administration, which, when attacking targets, never saw a conflict to completion. Osama bin Laden tried to blow up the World Trade Center before, and all Mr. Clinton did, over five years later, was attack a few terrorist training camps the day the Starr Report was released. I’m sure Mr. Clinton’s motives were pure and just, but we see how effective his attacks were.

Now, I’m not saying we’ve seen this conflict to completion. We’re far from it. The body count will, on both sides, rise over the days and months ahead. Such is the nature of war – people die to defend freedom.

As Prime Minister Tony Blair said after the attacks began, "This is a moment of utmost gravity for the world. None of the leaders involved in this action want war. None of our nations want it. We are peaceful people. But we know that sometimes to safeguard peace, we have to fight. Britain has learnt that lesson many times in our history. We only do it if the cause is just. This cause is just."

I’m sure that the people of America echo that sentiment.

We have a long road ahead, and our president, with these attacks, proved that, if nothing else, he is a man of his word. He gave the people of Afghanistan fair warning and time to get out. He warned the Taliban that there would be consequences should they choose not to surrender bin Laden. As Tony Blair told the Taliban so eloquently: "Surrender bin Laden, or surrender power." And now that the Taliban has refused, President Bush has made good on his word.