The Meaning of Gamble

It is now late fall, with only a little more than a month of this year remaining. The sky of autumn is fresh and bright. Most of California, including San Francisco, always has mild weather, and even in midwinter, we do not experience any bitter cold. However, my heart aches when I think of the New Yorkers and the others who suffered immense damage as a result of the appalling terrorist act of Sept. 11. Their winter will be colder than ever. As I pass on my sympathy to the people who lost family and friends, I pray that they will overcome this ordeal with a strong will.

The current war is not about the historical conflict between countries to maintain or expand their land holdings. It is a war in which a barbaric and destructive group has targeted the entire nation of America as a result of unfounded hatred. President Bush has named this conflict "The New War of the 21st Century." There is no need to explain the fact that America is facing its most serious threat in history. However, I believe that the people of this nation will unite and become stronger as a result of it.

The thing that astonished me the most about the attack was the fact that after the terrorists used the power of high-tech information, they used box cutters as weapons in the actual terrorist attack. Not only that, they hijacked our most rapid form of transportation – a passenger plane – and in a heartbeat transformed that plane into a fearsome weapon. The fact that a high-tech device that we all conveniently use daily can become a dangerous killing weapon aroused all of our senses. When we look back at the history of world wars, we see that they started over territorial expansion, or differences in religious beliefs or cultural ideologies.

Some people have said, "Life is a gamble." These terrorists took a dangerous gamble, and succeeded in taking people's lives. However, whether or not this reckless gamble actually succeeded will be clear in the near future. They may now be experiencing an illusion of victory, sensation, and joy, but they will soon realize that this joy will be short-lived.

The true meaning of gamble occurs when fair and justifiable grounds are the basis for competition, and the joy of success is lasting. If the actions and efforts of a gamble are started from hatred, to destroy someone, or to inflict pain and tragedy, even if that gamble is achieved, it can never be a success.

I believe that no matter what form the world is being twisted into, we can never stop the pursuit of peace and love that comes from the bottom of our pure hearts. I am a person who believes that no matter what happens, there should be no war in this world. However, I think that for an individual, a group, or a nation that starts a war purely to destroy humans as its goal, there should be deserving punishment – not out of hatred or vengeance, but to protect the people who want to cherish peace in this world.

As a poker-playing individual who can look at life only in simple-minded terms, this sad and violent event caused me to look at life in a more emotionally mature manner by ruminating about mankind.