| | 9/11: We Remember
Today I will remember where I was on 9/11/01. I will remember the horror of what I witnessed on TV. The fear that I felt, not knowing if or when it was going to end. The stark disbelief at the level of carnage and destruction. The experience of what terror, brought on by terrorism, actually looked and felt like.
We thought it couldn't happen here; we were wrong.
Hell on earth, for a moment.
But I'll also remember 9/11 as one of the most remarkable days in American history. The amazing courage and heroism that was shown that day - it's something else we should never forget. The people who gave their lives to save another's. The policemen, the firemen, the everyday civilians who laid it all on the line and stood up to make a difference. I'll remember how for one brief shining moment America united and stood together again. We remembered what we had in common and what binds us together rather than all that divides. I'll remember the courage and leadership of our leaders, who actually stood up and led like we elected them to do. Bush. Guliani. Many of us now despise those guys for partisan reasons, but on 9/11 we cheered them wholeheartedly. And deservedly so. Guliani walking the streets of New York, covered in ash, is an image I will always remember.
I'll remember the grace of God. His presence, which was there in the midst of all the chaos. The glimpses of him in the midst of the terror: "Let's roll" - as they gave their lives so willingly, for a greater purpose.
And I'll remember that 9/11 isn't something that we should forget. Because the world we're living in doesn't forget. It hasn't even been a decade yet, but America is a far different place. Our enemies are still the same, and they still wish to do us great harm. They want to kill us. They want to destroy our way of life and the freedoms that we cherish - and take for granted. They are patient, and take a long view of history, not a short-term perspective like we all too often do. While we should not live in fear, we should be constantly vigilant. The war we are waging, though it is far away in a distant land, is not over. I fear that we may not be willing to make the sacrifices that are needed in order to win, though.
9/11. Never forget. We do so at our own peril
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| | Posted 9/11/2009 2:17 AM - 25 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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