Pre-Anniversary Thoughts
A Special note here--Marcie and I will spend the majority of this weekend focusing on the fifth anniversary of 11 September 2001. This post will be here all day. She may or may not post later (it depends on her mood), but if she does, she will also be revealing her thoughts regarding this day in our history. Sunday we will assemble our tribute for Monday, and we will both be focusing on the 101st Keebees tributes. Monday our tribute will go up with various notes throughout the day reflecting. Only a major news story will break up what we have planned.
This weekend will be spent remembering 11 September. Americans should remember this day. They should never forget. They should never let it slip their mind that nineteen men borded four planes that morning in an attempt to destroy this nation, and possible decapitate the government. (I say possibly because all we can do is speculate about which target United Flight 93 was going to hit in Washington, DC. Regardless of the last target, these people attacked us).
In the last few days the cockroach conspiracy theorists have crawled out of the woodwork to peddle their feeble ideas. And I do mean feeble. An amateur could debunk these people, and I'm not about to take up space here doing that. That's not the point of this post. This post is to reflect. I was awake that morning. I had come home that night and wasn't all that tired. I had been working on a book that I haven't touched since then. It was fiction, and trust me when I say that the events the following morning snapped me right out of the world of fiction my head was sitting in.
I watched in abject horror as the reports came in. I watched the second plane hit. I watched the people leaping from the Towers. I watched ewach breathless report as we witnessed the buildings falling apart. Then the news came that the Pentagon had been struck. They cut to the scene, still keeping an eye on the Trade Towers, and were showing the rescue efforts there. The gaping hole, the bodies being pulled from it. I remember seeing Secretary Rumsfeld on the goroud coordinating the rescue workers, and working hand-in-hand with getting survivors out.
Then they cut to a smopldering hole in the ground where Flight 93 went down. Rescuse workers were standing around because there was nothing left of the plane. It's engine was found further down the hill, but there was no one to rescue. No, the passnegers of Flight 93 fought back. They were heroes; real heroes ! They chose not to be victims. They retook the plane, and held their own fate in their hands. While the struggle in the cockpit ensued, the yolk was pushed forward, and they slammed into the ground at over four hundred miles an hour. Those people chose to die there than allow those animals a last chance to kill even more innocent people.
That night the showing of solidarity from Congress was commendable, though we knew it wouldn't last long. We listened to the president as he consoled a grieving nation. The cameras panned across make-shift shrines and message boards around Ground Zero; families still searching for loved ones, and each one hoping against hope. Bucket brigades had formed at Ground Zero as soon as it was safe enough to approach the collapsed buildings. Some miracles occurred the following hours, and we thanked God as survivors were pulled from the rubble. And we wept when the bodies were removed.
In the following days and weeks, the anger faded, but the grief remained. I know that from my perspective, the anger subsided, but it didn't go away. It can't. The terrorists may have thought that any target in America was fair game. They thought wrong, and as Frank J from IMAO promptly reminds people that the wrath of God dropped on those bastards; that is, after all, what the US military is to some of these people. And that's what we wanted; a reminder that the sleeping dragon shouldn't be woke up. The Japanese learned that lesson in World War II. They can attest to the fact that when we fight, we fight to win; there is no second place in our book.
The victories that we achieve in this war are good. And there's guilty about feeling that. There are some in this nation that seem to think it's wrong for us to want victory. That we have achieved payback in ousting the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. We have disrupted our enemy to the point where they are having a problem with any sort of success. They can't match our forces on the battlefield, so they have resorted to the tactics that condemn. They utlize the same tactics as cowardly terrorists always do. They target the innocents, and terrorize them into not cooperating with anyone. But they're not winning that way either. Freedom has been tasted and it will not be denied. But all of those victories can't chase away the anger, or the hate.
And that's another point that has irritated me a lot in this war. We keep being told not to hate our enemy. Why not? These people have shown that they won't negotiate. They can't be reasoned with. And the utilize the most barbaric tactics that warfare has ever seen. The idea of gentlemanly and honorable combat doesn't fit into their worldview. A new enemy means new tactics, and they've learned that we can be just as mean and nasty as they can. That we, too, can terrorize. We have terrorized our enemy, dragging them to the dark places that even they fear.
But the anger isn't gone. Five years later, and it is still smoldering, just like Ground Zero smoldered for months. You don't scar my nation--physically, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically--and simply skate by like nothing happened, and expect no response. Those days are gone. We don't turn the other cheek. Sorry, but we're not just going to sit on the wayside with a sign that says "Kick Me: Guaranteed no response." They killed nearly three thousand innocnet men and women. Ward Churchill can have his delusions of how "guilty" they were, but nutters like him are a lot like spoiled children--best seen and not heard from. But this is America, land of the free and home of the brave. This is the greatest nation on the face of the planet, and no nation is more helpful than ours. When disasters strike around the world, we are one of the first (if not THE first) nations to step up, offer aid, render any necessary assistance, and send money.
And these people had a gripe with us. And I wonder why they did? Yes, we were in Saudi Arabia, but when we left, that should have been the end of that feud. If this is payback for those years being there, the anger is misplaced. We were honoring an agreement. So this goes beyond being in the land of Mecca. Their ideology is one of blood and hate; intolerance for anything that is not in their mold of being a true Muslim. It is a radical view, and one that I believe the majority of Islam hasn't really contemplated. I'm sure that a fair majority of them disavow that ideology. But I'm sure that the overall Muslim population hasn't even really entertained a jihadist's perspective of Islam. There are moderate voices, and I cringe at using the term moderate; if my theory is correct, then its the mainstream thought of the religion. As yet, that hasn't been the message sent by the Muslim community.
11th September is a day I will never forget, and with good reason. These people don't want to make nice with us. They want us dead, and call me funny but I resent that idea. I don't deserve to die because I'm an American. However those that attack this nation, it's citizens, it's interests, and it's allies does deserve to die. That should be the key goal of this war. To kill as many of them as we can. They will either surrender, or be destroyed, and frankly I could care less which one they choose. Dead or alive? Sorry, I like them like I prefer my Constituion--quite dead.
And if that offends anyone's precious sensibilites, I'm sorry. But I'm not giving these guys the benefit of the doubt. I agree with James Lileks. 11th September reset the clock for me, as well. That day I made a choice to take my head out of the clouds and start paying attention to the world. Not that I hadn't been, but a passing notice is much different than being absolutely focused on current events. Being shocked out of your nice comfortable world does that to people. And I'm just one of the many people who were shocked that morning.
I'm off the sidelines and in the game. Marcie's right here with me, and we are just two of a whole host of individuals who stepped up, and made our voices heard. We are the voices that keep urging our troops to do their best, and praising the efforts of the adminsitration in keeping this nation safe. Many don't agree with him, and their within their rights to disagree. But there is a point where disagreement goes to far, and a few in this nation have done that when they have obstructed these securty measures. But we're a long ways off from being the safest we can possibly be. And this war is far from over.
But this war isn't our fault. And as we approach the fifth anniversary of the worst attack on America, ever, we would be wise to remember that. We didn't start it, but we're sure as Hell going to finish it. And our enemy will pay. People say that violence isn't the answer. On the contrary, when your enemy only understands violence, it most certainly is the answer. And reciprocity is a b***h that they've learned will come down on their heads every time.
Publius II
A Special note here--Marcie and I will spend the majority of this weekend focusing on the fifth anniversary of 11 September 2001. This post will be here all day. She may or may not post later (it depends on her mood), but if she does, she will also be revealing her thoughts regarding this day in our history. Sunday we will assemble our tribute for Monday, and we will both be focusing on the 101st Keebees tributes. Monday our tribute will go up with various notes throughout the day reflecting. Only a major news story will break up what we have planned.
This weekend will be spent remembering 11 September. Americans should remember this day. They should never forget. They should never let it slip their mind that nineteen men borded four planes that morning in an attempt to destroy this nation, and possible decapitate the government. (I say possibly because all we can do is speculate about which target United Flight 93 was going to hit in Washington, DC. Regardless of the last target, these people attacked us).
In the last few days the cockroach conspiracy theorists have crawled out of the woodwork to peddle their feeble ideas. And I do mean feeble. An amateur could debunk these people, and I'm not about to take up space here doing that. That's not the point of this post. This post is to reflect. I was awake that morning. I had come home that night and wasn't all that tired. I had been working on a book that I haven't touched since then. It was fiction, and trust me when I say that the events the following morning snapped me right out of the world of fiction my head was sitting in.
I watched in abject horror as the reports came in. I watched the second plane hit. I watched the people leaping from the Towers. I watched ewach breathless report as we witnessed the buildings falling apart. Then the news came that the Pentagon had been struck. They cut to the scene, still keeping an eye on the Trade Towers, and were showing the rescue efforts there. The gaping hole, the bodies being pulled from it. I remember seeing Secretary Rumsfeld on the goroud coordinating the rescue workers, and working hand-in-hand with getting survivors out.
Then they cut to a smopldering hole in the ground where Flight 93 went down. Rescuse workers were standing around because there was nothing left of the plane. It's engine was found further down the hill, but there was no one to rescue. No, the passnegers of Flight 93 fought back. They were heroes; real heroes ! They chose not to be victims. They retook the plane, and held their own fate in their hands. While the struggle in the cockpit ensued, the yolk was pushed forward, and they slammed into the ground at over four hundred miles an hour. Those people chose to die there than allow those animals a last chance to kill even more innocent people.
That night the showing of solidarity from Congress was commendable, though we knew it wouldn't last long. We listened to the president as he consoled a grieving nation. The cameras panned across make-shift shrines and message boards around Ground Zero; families still searching for loved ones, and each one hoping against hope. Bucket brigades had formed at Ground Zero as soon as it was safe enough to approach the collapsed buildings. Some miracles occurred the following hours, and we thanked God as survivors were pulled from the rubble. And we wept when the bodies were removed.
In the following days and weeks, the anger faded, but the grief remained. I know that from my perspective, the anger subsided, but it didn't go away. It can't. The terrorists may have thought that any target in America was fair game. They thought wrong, and as Frank J from IMAO promptly reminds people that the wrath of God dropped on those bastards; that is, after all, what the US military is to some of these people. And that's what we wanted; a reminder that the sleeping dragon shouldn't be woke up. The Japanese learned that lesson in World War II. They can attest to the fact that when we fight, we fight to win; there is no second place in our book.
The victories that we achieve in this war are good. And there's guilty about feeling that. There are some in this nation that seem to think it's wrong for us to want victory. That we have achieved payback in ousting the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. We have disrupted our enemy to the point where they are having a problem with any sort of success. They can't match our forces on the battlefield, so they have resorted to the tactics that condemn. They utlize the same tactics as cowardly terrorists always do. They target the innocents, and terrorize them into not cooperating with anyone. But they're not winning that way either. Freedom has been tasted and it will not be denied. But all of those victories can't chase away the anger, or the hate.
And that's another point that has irritated me a lot in this war. We keep being told not to hate our enemy. Why not? These people have shown that they won't negotiate. They can't be reasoned with. And the utilize the most barbaric tactics that warfare has ever seen. The idea of gentlemanly and honorable combat doesn't fit into their worldview. A new enemy means new tactics, and they've learned that we can be just as mean and nasty as they can. That we, too, can terrorize. We have terrorized our enemy, dragging them to the dark places that even they fear.
But the anger isn't gone. Five years later, and it is still smoldering, just like Ground Zero smoldered for months. You don't scar my nation--physically, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically--and simply skate by like nothing happened, and expect no response. Those days are gone. We don't turn the other cheek. Sorry, but we're not just going to sit on the wayside with a sign that says "Kick Me: Guaranteed no response." They killed nearly three thousand innocnet men and women. Ward Churchill can have his delusions of how "guilty" they were, but nutters like him are a lot like spoiled children--best seen and not heard from. But this is America, land of the free and home of the brave. This is the greatest nation on the face of the planet, and no nation is more helpful than ours. When disasters strike around the world, we are one of the first (if not THE first) nations to step up, offer aid, render any necessary assistance, and send money.
And these people had a gripe with us. And I wonder why they did? Yes, we were in Saudi Arabia, but when we left, that should have been the end of that feud. If this is payback for those years being there, the anger is misplaced. We were honoring an agreement. So this goes beyond being in the land of Mecca. Their ideology is one of blood and hate; intolerance for anything that is not in their mold of being a true Muslim. It is a radical view, and one that I believe the majority of Islam hasn't really contemplated. I'm sure that a fair majority of them disavow that ideology. But I'm sure that the overall Muslim population hasn't even really entertained a jihadist's perspective of Islam. There are moderate voices, and I cringe at using the term moderate; if my theory is correct, then its the mainstream thought of the religion. As yet, that hasn't been the message sent by the Muslim community.
11th September is a day I will never forget, and with good reason. These people don't want to make nice with us. They want us dead, and call me funny but I resent that idea. I don't deserve to die because I'm an American. However those that attack this nation, it's citizens, it's interests, and it's allies does deserve to die. That should be the key goal of this war. To kill as many of them as we can. They will either surrender, or be destroyed, and frankly I could care less which one they choose. Dead or alive? Sorry, I like them like I prefer my Constituion--quite dead.
And if that offends anyone's precious sensibilites, I'm sorry. But I'm not giving these guys the benefit of the doubt. I agree with James Lileks. 11th September reset the clock for me, as well. That day I made a choice to take my head out of the clouds and start paying attention to the world. Not that I hadn't been, but a passing notice is much different than being absolutely focused on current events. Being shocked out of your nice comfortable world does that to people. And I'm just one of the many people who were shocked that morning.
I'm off the sidelines and in the game. Marcie's right here with me, and we are just two of a whole host of individuals who stepped up, and made our voices heard. We are the voices that keep urging our troops to do their best, and praising the efforts of the adminsitration in keeping this nation safe. Many don't agree with him, and their within their rights to disagree. But there is a point where disagreement goes to far, and a few in this nation have done that when they have obstructed these securty measures. But we're a long ways off from being the safest we can possibly be. And this war is far from over.
But this war isn't our fault. And as we approach the fifth anniversary of the worst attack on America, ever, we would be wise to remember that. We didn't start it, but we're sure as Hell going to finish it. And our enemy will pay. People say that violence isn't the answer. On the contrary, when your enemy only understands violence, it most certainly is the answer. And reciprocity is a b***h that they've learned will come down on their heads every time.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 5:22 AM
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