Relfections of September 11th - The 10 year Anniversary

As I sit here at my desk on Tuesday, September 12th, 2011, I can feel the warmth of the sun coming through the window heating my skin and my desk with yellow brightness that only the sun can provide. The sky is an amazing shade of blue today without a cloud to be seen for miles. It reminds me a lot of the days following the tragic events 10 years ago. Yesterday morning was very similar to September 11th, 2001 in that the day began as a beautiful fall morning.

I spent the better part of my Sunday reflecting on the tragic events 10 years ago. The day that will forever be etched into my mind as being the most tragic thing I ever witnessed as 2,996 men, women, and children died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. I watched in silence as the families of those lost in the events read the names of their loved ones on National television, and as they had several moments of silences to mark the moments the planes hit the towers and the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania. A person can only watch for so long as the widows and widowers, the fatherless and motherless children, the parents, the cousins, the uncles, the aunts, and the friends of these much beloved victims, before you just have to walk away. That’s exactly what I had to do. I turned the television off and walked away.

I am not ashamed of the fact that I get teary eyed at emotional things. I think I, like many Americans, shed a few tears during the day yesterday. I know I shed my fair share of tears 10 years ago as well. The fact that we just didn’t know what was next was in itself very intimidating. I had 3 young children and a young wife and I was only 25 years old. I watched my fellow Americans perish in a terrorist attack on AMERICAN SOIL. Time stood still if only for a couple days. People were just a little more friendly in the days following the attacks. The United States of America pulled together, for a time, and as a nation the feeling was very patriotic and everyone was a little friendlier.

The last 10 years have left a void in the nation. What brought us together has long since been forgotten. We have a new President now. A President, who had a lot of promise and offered “Change”, and who has allowed the nation to cross a racial boundary and overlook the color of ones skin. The financial crisis climaxed in the last few years and our current President was caught up in the mess and has suffered as a result. The world is struggling financially even now. Times are very tough for everyone. It’s a global problem. Wars are raging, unemployment is skyrocketing, and natural disasters are occurring and it’s a global crisis. It’s not Obama’s fault, it’s not Bush’s fault, it’s OUR fault as residents and citizens of Earth.

You can turn the news on any time of the day and see some loud mouthed newscaster on a soapbox pointing fingers at who they believe is at fault for the current state of affairs of the country. You can read articles in the newspaper of your choice and see much the same thing. Why are we pointing fingers? Why are we trying to place the blame for the current state of our nation on someone else? I was always taught from an early age, when I point my finger at someone there is 3 fingers pointing back at me. What’s that tell us? I am pretty sure WE the people of America are to blame for EVERYTHING that we are currently dealing with as a nation.

We have troops in Afghanistan. We have troops in Iraq. I am sure we have troops in other places around the world as well but Afghanistan and Iraq are the “important ones” that you hear about on a daily basis. What are they fighting for exactly? Osama Bin Laden is dead. The mastermind behind the attacks on September 11th, 2001 is dead and has been dead since May 1st, 2011. They are “defending our country”, they are “protecting us from terrorists”, and “they are finishing what we started” are the answers to the questions by most of the newscasters and the government officials when asked.

The sad truth about September 11th, 2001 is that terrorists came into the United States of America LEGALLY; boarded air planes bound for various destinations in the U.S. LEGALLY, and hijacked those planes to carry out their evil plots. What people don’t realize today, ten years later is that terrorist can STILL come into this country legally and if they desired can still conduct their evil mission. The FBI, the CIA, and Homeland Security as well as the TSA have made it a little more difficult for them to come into the country and certainly they have made it more difficult to hijack an airplane but it can still happen, and most likely WILL happen again.

Does a horrible tragedy like September 11th, 2001 have to be the factor for American citizens to pull together as one? Have you forgotten what it felt like when we came under attack 10 years ago? What is different now then 10 years ago? Why have we become so willing to accept normalcy and “live life as usual” and “live in the moment”? Why are we no longer patriotic and willing to help our neighbors out and show them support when we are all the victims as a nation? What is important to you?

In the coming days I encourage each and every one of you who read this blog to take a moment and reflect as I did if you haven’t done so already. Why does it take a special 10 year anniversary show on television to trigger the emotions that we should feel every day? Why do we have to be reminded what we lost when we should keep it close to our hearts everyday as a constant reminder of our freedom. We are a part of the greatest nation on earth. Our forefathers made this great nation and I have to ask myself, would they be proud of what we have become? Would they be proud of how we conduct ourselves as citizens of this nation?

I am proud to be an American. I am proud of the men and women who serve in the military to defend my freedoms and who are proud representatives of the greatest nation on this planet. Their selfless sacrifice does not go unnoticed. I am thankful for them. I am also proud of the men and women in law enforcement and the men and women who are firefighters, and first responders. They do their jobs with bravery and with dedication to their communities. Without them the world we live in would be a horrible place. Thank you for everything you do and everything you continue to do to make each of our communities a better and safer place to live. Let us all NEVER forget September 11th, 2001. They are gone but NEVER forgotten. God bless America. Let Freedom Ring!!