PUBLIC FORUM LITTLE BROTHER.

I keep hearing about how yesterday's events will affect the children of the United States. I have a 10-year-old brother, and I did not think that the horrible events that took place on Sept. 11 would have an impact on his life. But he proved me wrong. My brother has started what he calls a ``book'' about what happened and his feelings about it. To watch my brother sit down and write about it amazed me, and it made me want to cry. In it, he talked about the planes that were hijacked and about the families of the victims. He even has quotes from people in it.

Before that day, my brother only thought about baseball. He even had my mother buy an American flag for us to display outside our home. At the age of 10, my brother now knows what it means to be ``Proud to be an American.'' After reading my brother's notes and talking to him, I feel that the impact taught my brother more in one day then a teacher could ever teach him in a school year.

- Jennifer Klatt

Arleta

Silence in the skies

First, I want to offer my condolences to all those that lost their loved ones in this horrific tragedy. I never thought I would see the day when there was a deafening silence in the sky, as on Sept. 11, 2001. Every day we take for granted of seeing and hearing airplanes go to their destinations - until that day. I for one live on the third floor, where every day I can hear the roar of the plane engines.

On that day, looking at the sky from my front door, there was nothing but silence. It was a strange and eerie feeling, like time stood still even though life was moving through the city streets. Actually, it's hard to describe. But I believe we the people understand this.

When planes return to the sky, I will one of the first to shed a tear knowing we are getting back on track from that brief time that was once the silence in the sky.

- Ellen Uhlmann

Van Nuys

Pride and hopes

I wish to express my feeling of how very proud I am of my son-in-law, Capt. Rick Dennings of the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the other 65 members of the Urban Search and Rescue Team who left March Air Force Base on the evening of Sept. 11 to fly to the aid of the people of New York and to help those in need at these desperate times.

My heart also goes out to my daughter Linda and four granddaughters, and to all the family members of these brave and wonderful team members. May God bless searchers and every one of you, and I pray for a safe return of your beloved family members.

- Barbara Harshman

Tarzana

A terrible resolve

After Admiral Yamamoto had successfully completed his attack on Pearl Harbor 60 years ago, instead of celebrating his victory, he somberly told his staff, ``I fear that we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.''

The cowards who attacked our nation ought to have studied our history. For like our adversaries in World War II, they are now the focus of our combined might and a terrible resolve to hunt them down and destroy them. As we bury our dead, heal our wounded and repair the damage, let us all come together with the common goal of ridding our planet of the terrorist scourge.

- Steve McCombs

Chatsworth

'Real and credible'

As an excuse for a late return to Washington, the president's staff determined that a ``real and credible'' threat existed to divert and delay his airplane. Why not respond to the ``real and credible'' threat of terrorism itself? It seems clear that Osama bin Ladin was involved, but that is not yet ``real and credible'' to Bush, so bin Ladin escapes to other nurturing countries. Iraq and Hussein are not yet ``real and credible'' participants, so they too are allowed to hunker down, leave town and to avoid retaliation.

Take out Osama bin Ladin, take out Saddam Hussein, take out the Iraqi Air Force and air defenses, take out the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Don't wait until the ``real and credible'' sources are agreed to by any majority of the world powers. It will be far too late to be effective.

- Eric Ronald

Simi Valley

Re-examine beliefs

So now we all know what the jihad, or Islamic holy war, really is. It is an attack upon civilization by savages. Apparently, the Koran allows for this behavior. If this is true, all Muslims should take a serious look at their beliefs.

- Glen Victor

Northridge

Different standards

In the very same breath that Colin Powell restated the righteous policy of the Bush administration to punish the terrorists and those who harbor them, he went on to say that he phoned ``Chairman'' Yasser Arafat and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to urge them that they must talk, that being the only way to stop the ``cycle of violence.''

Notwithstanding the appeasement-prone Peres who was instrumental in gentrifying the mother of modern-day Arab terrorism, Arafat, methinks that our secretary of state surely cannot expect the people of Israel to take the advice he offers them while he reserves for himself a different set of standards.

- Leon Persweig

Calabasas

War isn't the answer

Re ``Total war,'' (Editorial, Sept. 13):

I am shocked and saddened by your warmongering posture. You are totally wrong on all points. How can any responsible voice say war is the answer to anything even against a known and identifiable enemy? To even mention Vietnam is shameful - this is a war that should never have taken place and one from which many Americans are still suffering today.

America must use its power, not to escalate killing and hate but to create peace. We must start listening to the concerns of others and make some effort to create a more equal world. Killing terrorists who believe that dying for their cause is the ultimate victory surely fuels their passion. The thousands of innocents who would perish alongside them will only instill that passion in even more. Please think more about your endorsement of war, the future of our world is at stake.

- William Brady

Reseda

Airport security

It was sickening to watch the hijacked planes crashing into New York and Washington on Tuesday. Later in the afternoon we heard that knives were used. I took my mother to LAX for a departure overseas in August. As we passed through the metal detector the man ahead of me put the contents of his pockets in a tray to be inspected by security. The security person removed a large pocket knife. Using the badge he wore as a measure he pronounced it OK and allowed the man to pass with the admonition, ``Keep it in your pocket.'' It was not confiscated or held for him to reclaim later.

I asked the security person how he could allow that. He said the knife was less than 4 inches. I said to him, ``That wasn't very reassuring. It doesn't take a 4-inch knife to slit a throat or kill someone.'' So much for security in Los Angeles and the rest of the country.

- Wayde Hunter

Granada Hills

Foreign entanglements

Terrorist attacks on the U.S. are the price we pay for ignoring the wisdom of our Founding Fathers, as expressed by Thomas Jefferson: ``Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliance with none.'' If we would only follow this Libertarian advice and stop making enemies, we wouldn't have to worry about terrorism.

- Bradley Bobbs

Granada Hills