Tue 12 Sep 2006
I can not begin to express all of the feelings that I’ve had yesterday, on the 5th anniversary of 9/11.
I was proud of the work done by all of the bloggers who participated in the 2996 tribute to the victims of 9/11. This was a difficult but very valuable process for many - we did not know these people or their families first hand. And maybe that can come off a little bit strange, especially for those who have had friends and families lost that day. But on September 11, 2001, as the events unfolded, everyone was connected. I think it is important to remember all of those people who did go to work or boarded their flight that day, not to be part of a global war on terror, but to lead their normal lives.
I did feel sad reading again the details of that day. Even the ‘dry facts’ from the 9/11 Commission Reports about each of the airplanes involved in the attacks cuts deep, when you know what the end of the story is going to be for them. I also thought back many times to one of the hardest books I have on my shelf, Peggy Noonan’s excellent book, A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag. It’s gut wrenching every time I open it. The loss and the rebuilding of lives and the city.
I was forced to think back to that day again. And remember watching when the towers collapse on television. There was so much confusion and so few facts. But there was one thing clear at that moment. There was an attack underway. At that moment I went outside and hung our American flag. Because it was the only thing I could do. Helplessness.
And I’m not ashamed to say that I cried as I read Ali-Bubba’s 2996 tribute to Kenneth Warren Van Auken. The special words for his daughter Sara express the thoughts of everyday fathers in a way that most can never really express as eloquently as he did. It was not about terrorists, or Islam, or Osama - but a father’s love for his children and their love for him. Beautiful.
I also understand perfectly the thoughts of the Independent Conservative who says - “It Does Not Matter Where I Was on 9/11/2001!”. The past is the past, and it possible to be overcome in our grief and disbelief to forget that it really only matters what we do from this point forward. That’s true in all aspects of our lives, from how our government officials behave to how we live our lives. It’s true, but I do think it is good to take some time to really remember what happened. Not to live in the past, but to remember the scope and enormity of that day. After time, it can be easy to put “9/11″ in a compartment and shut it away. It was so horrible that we can hope that it was a single desperate act, instead of just one act in a much larger story.
The war did not start that day, but most woke up to it that day.
That feeling of being vulnerable that many felt immediately after the attacks is not something that most Americans typically have. We have been blessed to be relatively free from these kinds of threats before that day. And we should be thankful that was the case! I think that vulnerability, more than any else, was the tie that bound people together immediately after the attacks. But that feeling has faded for most, despite later attacks in Spain, and London and elsewhere. For most, it’s “just news” and doesn’t touch them directly. We can be thankful that there have been no further attacks on this scale on US soil. Some have been foiled through diligent work. Some have been disrupted, certainly, by aggressively pursuing those who harm us. And others still may remain hidden and lurking.
Michelle Malkin summarized it as “Remembrance. Resolve. Recognition.” Three legs of a stool. Without each, we can not continue with the proper focus.
Regardless of who is our President or what political party has the majority in Congress at any given time, we must be resolved to meet this head on and know that the threats have not disappeared. It does make me sad to know that if there’s an attack somewhere tomorrow, that some will immediately start pointing fingers and issuing press releases. Politians, by definition, play politics. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at it, but it does hurt every time that it happens. Their desire to retain power can easily lead to compromising principle. I’m sure that it has happened long before this battle and will last forever in the future. So it’s up to the people to remember to continue to remember the fight if the politians do not remain steadfast.
No matter how much we want to make the terrorists follow our ‘rules’ or have the same motivations as we have - it’s not the case.
No matter how much we’d like to go back in time and rewrite our memories - it’s now in the past.
No matter how much we’d like to think that the absence of conflict is peace - it’s sometimes not the case.
No matter how much we wish that this could be someone else’s problem - we can not hide our eyes and make it go away.
No matter how much we’d like someone to guarantee our perfect safety and security - no one on earth can do so.
No matter how much we’d like to find someone or something we can blame so that we can quickly find a way to make this all go away - there is nothing so easy.
No matter how much we’d like everyone to live in peace and just love one another - there are some who frankly do not share that view.
No matter how much we’d like to avoid a War on Terror that lasts decades - there may be a lot of sadness, and hate, and pain to come.
No matter how much we’d like to have a unanimous view among ourselves and between all nations about how to confront this evil - it may not be possible. That can not deter us from taking up the fight, however.
Most of all I do feel confidenence on this day - not because I am happy or seek revenge, but because I believe that the fight will ultimately be won and freedom will not be extinguished. This is a battle, no matter how long it takes, that must be won. For our children. And for their children.
