Our grief is stronger than terror

Now is the time of grief and quietude.

May the memory of the deceased live forever.

I witnessed how Italians lit candles in their windows as a sign of sincere sympathy for those who died in Beslan.

And what about us? Have our feelings gone numb completely? Half of the city continues to live as though nothing has happened. Some still continue to go out, have fun. Some are enraged. But the majority of people, I know, I see it – mourns the dead. Why don’t we all try to light candles in our windows just for one night?! This will be our tribute to those poor children and their parents. Just light a candle…it’s all we ask of you.

The tiny flame bears a lot: compassion, sympathy, resistance, solidarity… Let’s do the least we can. PRAVDA.RU has been receiving many letters from its readers. These are letters from all over the world, from every corner of our country, from people of different age groups, different socioeconomic status. The number of these people high exceeds that of those bastards and monsters.

Thursday, 9 September 2004, 9:00AM. On the 9th day from the tragedy in Beslan, demonstrate your solidarity; spare 10 seconds of your precious time to remember. On your way to work, please pause for a few seconds. Stand in silence. Remember the victims. Honk if you are driving! Keep your headlights on throughout the day as a sign of your sincere solidarity. Express your sympathy for the dead and for those who managed to survive.

Those were OUR kids that had been killed in Beslan. We did nothing to save them. This is OUR fault. We are ALL guilty. We often say how “tired we are of catastrophes” and “politics”. And here is comes: “another political affair” another “catastrophe”. It hit us hard, right in the heart. That is why on Thursday, September 9th 2004 at 9:00 AM MSK RBC, “Echo of Moscow”, “MK”, “Novaya Gazeta”, “Komsomolskaya pravda,” “Rossiiskaya gazeta,” “Izvestia” ask you to be sympathetic and take part in the solidarity campaign.

The Russian Red Cross (RRC) addresses directors, entrepreneurs and common people with a plea to help victims of the disaster in North Ossetia. The Russian Red Cross organizes charity drive for children of Beslan. Everyone who wishes to help can do so by calling the RRC hotline at (095)126-85-90, (095)126-01-90, (095)126-75-71.

Let’s all make at least a tiny contribution. Obviously, money will never be able to heal our wounds. It would have been great to see more Russian young men to serve in the Russian Army…  Prevent blind hatred from boiling in our souls thus blinding our conscious. Let the prayers be heard on this day…  Let’s fight and defeat Evil!