> Dear ASA Members:
>
> I am writing to share with you a statement issued by the American
> Sociological Association in response to the tragic events of September 11,
> 2001.  The following link also provides easy access to sociology experts
> and other information relevant to these terrorist attacks.  I encourage
> you to browse this link frequently for updates.
>
> http://www.asanet.org/media/terror.html
>
> This e-mail message comes with my best wishes.
>
> Felice
>
> Felice J. Levine
> Executive Officer
> American Sociological Association
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> ~~~~~~
>
>
> Statement of the American Sociological Association on Terrorist Attack,
> September 11, 2001
>
> On behalf of the American Sociological Association (ASA), the ASA Council
> expresses its profound grief at the shocking terrorist attacks in New York
> and Washington, and great sadness on the enormous loss of life in these
> incidents and the crash of the hijacked jet in Pennsylvania last week.
> The Association leadership extends its most sincere sympathies to the
> victims and their families on their terrible losses and injuries in this
> great national tragedy.  The ASA is also deeply grateful for the
> prodigious efforts of the rescue workers, civic leaders, and the many
> professionals who have brought their leadership, skills, and capacities to
> bear in responding to this great crisis.
>
> Enormous challenges and great uncertainties lie ahead-from how to unravel
> the events leading up to these criminal acts, how to respond to these and
> future threats, how to cope with the traumas and fears generated by these
> events, to how to ensure the peace and security of our society without
> surrendering basic liberties.  Sociologists have made contributions in
> different areas that can add significantly to public understanding of
> these events and to healing communities and our nation.  Sociological
> studies have examined hate crime, the effects of disasters on health,
> coping mechanisms in face of major threats, communal bereavement,
> predictors of violence, social movements and collective behavior that lead
> to violence-to name but a few of these areas.  The contextual conditions
> in societies (in the U.S. and in other countries) leading to use of
> violence and terror have been examined from a social perspective.  As
> citizens of this nation and of the world, sociologists are committed to
> contributing their knowledge and skills to ensure recovery from these
> destructive acts.
>
> Through its Public Information Office, the ASA provides information to
> journalists and others who seek information about sociological works and
> sociologists with expertise in specific areas.  The Public Information
> Office also regularly posts such information on the newswires and on its
> homepage.
>