A Message to a Terrorist Vetan Kapoor

Confusion and panic were clearly visible. People were running around frantically, shouting and screaming. Everyone was in a hurry. Nobody knew what was going to happen. We were all scared. Fall Fiesta was almost upon us.

The thirty or so students that were at school on that Saturday afternoon were responsible for the organization of Fall Fiesta, an annual event held to benefit our community and attended by people of all ages. At about 5:20 pm, just as the last of the preparations were completed, we all gathered around the stage. Mr. Caemmerer, the Student Council advisor, congratulated us on our hard work. "The most important thing today," he said, "is to make sure that nobody leaves feeling disappointed. Do whatever you can to make sure that people have a great time."

My first assignment at Fall Fiesta was to run an activity called the "Velcro Wall." My job was to dress participants up in a Velcro suit that would enable them to stick to a soft wall. Although business was slow at first, the activity quickly became popular among the smaller children. Parents clapped and cheered enthusiastically as the watched their offspring hanging upside down, screaming and giggling with excitement.

Just before...