Shock, fear, anguish, anger and pride ... and sorrow
Sept. 11, 2001, was a long day of powerful, coursing emotions.
What's happening?
Terrorist attacks ... well-planned, coordinated, devastating. How could it be?
What next? Where? Is it over, or just beginning?
How many people are still in the towers, the Pentagon, on a hijacked plane? How many are dead? How many missing? What about their families?
This is war. There's going to be a score to settle. It's Pearl Harbor all over again, a sleeping giant roused.
We're Americans. This is the United States. At times like this, we set aside our differences and pull together into one great family. God bless America.
In the seven years since? What lingers for me is sorrow for the lives lost, not only the victims of 9/11 but our men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq. And sorrow that, despite the cost, we still haven't accomplished the work begun seven years ago. The enemy has not been destroyed, and in fact still poses a threat.
Even worse, our political divisions have widened and Americans are splintered. Only briefly united in a common cause, we're back at the destructive politics of the past.
Seven years after Pearl Harbor, the United States was more powerful, influential and respected than ever before. Seven years after 9/11? I wish I could say the same.
Our memories of that terrible day are keen, but it seems as if we're forgotten the lessons we should have learned.
Comments (5)
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Shock, Fear and Paranoia (after people suddenly bomb the snot out of you) + faulty intelligence+ desire for revenge= muchos problemos. Time immemorial.
You like to think there are cool, collected, men leading your country who are immune to these very human emotions, but alas, they are not.
We're still on the learning curve dealing with large potent suicide cults, but lessons ARE being learned.
No denying, the price has been high.
Posted on September 11, 2008 11:33 AM
Amen.
Posted on September 11, 2008 12:39 PM
In WW 2, the press was for the most part backing our country. In the war on terrorist, the press for the most part, are backing the terrorist. The liberal press hate for republicans, far exceed it dislike for terrorist. This would have been tough, even with the backing of the media. It hard to fight a limited war, we should have learn this in Korea and Viet Nam.
Posted on September 12, 2008 5:13 AM
Plus Republicans are much more accessible than the average Al Queda guy who's hunkered down in a bunker in Pakistan or a Baghdad hovel.
Posted on September 12, 2008 8:55 AM
Right, Doug J. Here's an example of a pro-terrorist member of the press:
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/pearl-022102.htm
We journalists are rooting for the terrorists to kill the rest of us.
Posted on September 12, 2008 9:02 AM