There are many images of September 11th… The images of the wounds we suffered as a Nation. However, this is the image that I’ve selected. It shows quite simply, that we will endure. We will not forget. We will not forgive. And we will become stronger after our wounds heal.
As much of a disaster that September 11th was, the Obama Administration has been far worse for us. Some days I read the news and I think “Screw this… I’ll move my family to Argentina.” Because I look at these reports of the TSA raping our Constitutional Rights… and people put up with it. Our money for “Stimulus” to create jobs – in China… and people put up with it. Big Sis pointing her hateful, spiteful, ignorant, fat finger at us and saying that We The People are suspect… and people put up with it. This isn’t the same country that I swore an Oath to Defend. Makes me want to pack up and ship off.
And then I look at this photo… and I’m reminded that we will endure this too. We’ll take back our Government next year. We’ll fix this FUBAR country and set things right. I pray to God that next year the Obama Administration will be ridden out of Washington DC on rails.
I think one of the greatest failings of our country after 9/11 was not immediately building a new World Trade Center – maybe 20 stories taller or whatever.
The message being: Knock it down, and we’ll just build it back bigger and stronger!
But in the new “touchy-feely” America we don’t do that, I guess.
Amen, brother.
I would only agree with your last sentence, if it was done in conjunction with a good old fashioned tarring and feathering.
That IS part of the process.
Tar-and-feathering is for wimps.
Tar-and-badgering is much better. The worse the offense, the longer you starve the badgers, first…
I disagree about not forgiving. There was this Middle-Eastern carpenter who had some things to say about that, a couple thousand years ago.
But “forgive” should not be “forgive and forget.” Too many think that one automatically implies the other. I will forgive the rabid dog that attacks me, but that does not mean I will forget that it did so and try to take it home as a pet. It is a rabid dog, and I will do what must be done to rabid dogs. And I will do so quickly an efficiently, knowing that my decision is righteous, because it is based upon cool reason, rather than hot anger. The outcome is the same, for the dog, of course, but it’s much healthier to live with forgiveness in your heart, rather than hatred.
Forgive, but do not forget. Do what must be done, not because of anger, but because it’s simply that which must be done.
I volunteered at a local rememberance event today. Several fire departments from all over the region did a memorial stair climb to honor the 343 firefighters who died 10 years ago today. It was pretty moving, they all had a badge on showing the photo and name of the person they were climbing for. Most knew the story of the last day of the firefighter they were representing and were happy to tell it when asked. I got chills, this guy was on his day off but when he heard what was going on he went to another station and loaded up on gear and headed up into those buildings. This other one was driving the ladder truck for the company that was completely wiped out when the buildings collapsed on top of them. It would give a grown man tears listening to all this retelling of history.
I drove one of the freight elevators in Rennaisance Tower downtown Dallas to carry these people back down to the basement after they climbed 55 stories of the building their first lap. Packed in like sardines, it was tight. Firefighters are such jokers, I have 20 people in full gear, some carrying coiled fire hoses, and every trip somebody made a fart joke. After their second lap they got to take the regular elevators down with their families and friends who met them after then end of their total 110 stories of climbing stairs.
It was funny, the elevator was air conditioned but by the time we went from the 53rd floor to the basement it was pretty steamy in there. God Bless those folks, I am humbled to do my tiny bit to help them out.
We let bin-Laden change the way we live. You don’t win by letting your enemy distort your nation’s ideals. We let him scare us into shredding the 1st 4th and 5th Amendments for “security.” Of which we still have very little, despite the many billions spent. The last three attempted terrorist attacks have not been foiled by TSA scanners, warrantless wiretaps and GPS trackers, but ordinary citizens. We’ve bogged ourselves down in two undeclared wars. Lost 5000 men and women. Thousands more have been horribly maimed. Exactly as bin Laden predicted we would. And yet there’s no end in sight. There’s always a new head of al-Qaida to go after. There’s no endgame with terrorism. At least not the way our government is fighting it. You don’t beat terrorism with tanks and UCAV strikes. That only generates more hatred and resentment and thus more terrorism. You beat terrorism with a superior idea. The pen is mightier than the sword and all that. We have the better idea, but the message gets lost in the Hellfire explosions and the resulting inevitable civilian casualties.
We let bin-Laden change the way we live. We’ve let him win.
Remember the dead. Rebuild the towers, but a foot taller. Go back to living. That’s how you win.
Our current Administration is failing in every respect. I also hope they are “shown the door” next election.