One of my students asked me yesterday if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were rooted in revenge for the 9/11 attacks.

I had a lot of trouble answering that question.

Just to put things in perspective, she was only five years old on September 11, 2001. She didn’t remember that most people had never heard of Al Queda, that many people though Saddam Hussein planned the attacks, and that a few Americans took out their fear and anger and sadness on the innocent Muslims living in their communities.

I told her the truth. It seems to me that at least, in part, the two longest wars in out history have been fought for revenge.

And that it has taken us a long time to learn to see things clearly and to begin to forgive.