I put up the flags on my facebook. I wore a red, white, and blue heart shaped pin to church. We prayed for all those who perished in the terrorist attacks. That is as far as I go. No news, no coverage, no footage. People are saying that as a country we are stronger now and more unified because of 9/11. I wanna know where they are buying their rose colored glasses. From where I stand, we are NOT stronger and we are NOT unified, and we have not come more than an inch or so. After 10 years we still fighting this war. Everytime I put my liquids in my plastic bag for my carry on, and take off my shoes at the airport, I am reminded of 9/11, and the fear those events continue to inspire.
I will share with you the one image from that day that haunts me still, and undoubtedly will continue to do so till the day I die. Video footage of people in Palestine celebrating. I knew from history, books, televsion and movies that people have that kind of hatred for other people, but I never KNEW that people could HATE other people SO MUCH. I found that terrifying. I had no idea there were people that hate America THAT MUCH. 10 years later, after the news breaks that we finally "got" Osama Bin Laden what do we see on the news? Celebrations. People: death, murder, terror, destruction, are all things NEVER to be celebrated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly? I was deeply ashamed when I heard that some Americans were celebrating his death, etc. Are we any better than the people who highjacked those planes? and the people back "home" who supported them?
Besides Pearl Harbor, this is the only time an "attack" has ever been made on American soil. You know, despite how truly, deeply tragic and horrific this event was, we have NO IDEA of what war and suffering is when it is on our home soil. Unlike so many other countries that still live with that kind of violence, hatred, and real, true fear. For a country whose history is literally written with the blood of it's own people, we have NO REAL CONCEPTION of the true sacrifices our forefathers truly made on our behalf.
Now, I am as much of or even more of a patriot than the next person, but I love the United States of Amercia and what we stand for. What I DON'T love is what we ARE. I love what our forefathers died for: "One Nation, Under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." "We hold these truths to be self evident: that ALL men are created EQUAL. That they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights. That among these rights are LIFE, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of HAPPINESS." Now, some may say, why bother we ain't never gonna make it. We ain't never gonna be able to live up to those fine words. REGARDLESS, what our forefathers died to give us, is damn well worth honoring and fighting for, and it is something I would be prepared to lay down my life for. With all our terrible imperfections, I have to believe in the country that Washington, Jefferson, and Adams dreamed of. If I couldn't I could not longer love my counrty or call myself a patriot.
So in conclsion I find myself asking only one question today: the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks: How far have we come?
The answer: not far enough. :-(
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