It’s funny for a date by itself to have so much effect. When I got to work and saw “September 11” on the digital display to my work phone, it sent a slight shiver through me. A moment later I was back to untangling my ear buds so I could listen to mp3s off of my PDA.
Some of my best memories from that day and the days immediately following were good ones. I talked with coworkers I only had known from passing in the hallway like we were old friends. I remember seeing Jerry Nadler on TV, a NY liberal politician who I had always despised for his views, and I cheered him on when he spoke against the terrorist in a way I can’t even imagine cheering any politician these days. I guess, in extreme times, we’re stripped down to our most essential. We’re not liberal or conservative, introvert or extrovert, or any other of those labels that get thrown on to us; we’re just human, and we care for each other.
There were notable exception, though, of those who just couldn’t let go of their tiny view points no matter how much tragedy surrounded them. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were some of the first to lay the blame on us, saying this was God’s punishment for whatever moral issues they was currently their focus at that time. I can hardly imagine something more profane than trying to tell people what is the mind of God, and especially forcing it to fit your own politics.
Then there was Michael Moore and his letter on the day after. He later removed the part wondering why the terrorists didn’t only target Republicans, unable to understand that the murdering terrorists hated Moore even more than any Republican ever did. They would have loved to kill him the same as any one else just because he’s an American who speaks his mind (well, maybe they don’t hate him anymore since they’ve been using parts of his movies in their own propaganda films). Even with the frustration about the terrorists not targeting his political enemies removed, the letter is still quite damning. When most others reacted to the attacks with sympathy for their fellow man and hatred for the murders, Moore’s instincts were to rant on about his piddling political issues such as the Kyoto treaty and America not attending the Durban conference on racism (which was basically another UN conference about the threat of Israel and the joooos). That a tragedy the size of 9/11 wasn’t enough to wake him from his myopic political views shows a huge break between him and basic humanity, something that should have been an issued addressed by his therapist years ago. (Moore’s Letter Official version and the original)
And, while most countries put down their basic anti-Americanism (and, we are quite arrogant, so let’s not pretend we don’t invite it), there certainly were notable exceptions – and not just in the Middle East where we would expect it. Best of the Web at OpinionJournal.com was nice enough to put up links to foreign papers in the days after the attack to help people get a more international perspective. It was then I first checked out the out the British paper The Guardian and found the huge difference between American and British liberals. While most traditional liberals in America initially reacted the same as everyone else, only a week after the attacks the main editorials in The Guardian were to warn people to not feel to sorry for America. “A bully with a bloody nose is still a bully” I remember was the title of one opinion piece. Another one, like Moore’s screed, talked about how America didn’t participate in the Durban conference (does anyone even remember that now?). When tragedy hit, these people clutched to their tiny world views like a security blanket, sucking their thumbs and hoping the world wasn’t going to change. It seemed to me at the time like these people lived in another universe, just physically unable to see the world as it is.
As for myself, I remember how frustrated I was to return home the night of September 11th and sat alone in my apartment unable to do anything. I was hoping there would soon be a call for people to join the military for a huge counter-attack (I even gave my boss notice the next day that, if there was any talk of needed people to join the military, I’d have to resign and do so). The desire wasn’t so much out of a want to kill people, but just because I wanted to do something while I watch so much suffering on TV. I didn’t have a blog at the time, but I got an e-mail from a friend at my college that he wanted editorials about the attack for the conservative college newspaper he published, so, that night, I sat down and wrote this:
September 11, 2001. It won’t sink in for days. When things change this quickly, it will take a good amount of time for the mind to catch up. But, when the dust settles, our world will be forever changed.
Our first priority is to recover. There are thousands injured, and it is up to everyone to do their part, to donate blood, money, or whatever is needed. We need to restore as much normalcy as we can as quickly as possible. Our enemies are gloating at the disarray they caused, so we to show strength by simply getting back to our business unhindered. But, make no mistake; it will not be business usual. Not now.
Once shock subsides, anger is sure to replace it. It’s not a emotion well suited for decision making, but it is unavoidable at this time. Efforts to subside it will be futile, but it can be directed.
I’ve already heard plenty of people decrying the abilities of our intelligence community, how they should have seen this coming. Intelligence probably does need improving, but this should in no way be the main focus. No matter how good we make our intelligence, we can’t always prevent something like this. The only way is to remove any desire to commit acts of terror.
It’s seems hard to rationalize with people who would do something like this. They poke a tiger with a sharp stick and somehow expect some good to come of it. But our actions can put this in simple unmistakable terms. Our response to this must convince all those who witness it that acts of terror will do nothing but herald the perpetrators destruction. To simply apprehend and arrest those involved is not enough at this point. Those who hijacked the planes were not the only terrorists who committed suicide with today’s actions.
It’s a terrible thing to call for vengeance, but if our response falls even slightly short, we will only encourage more acts like this. We must take the terror to the terrorists, hunting down all we can find and punishing anyone who would harbor them to the point that a country would fear even the possibility of terrorists resting in their borders.
It will be easy to overdo our response, to add to the evil, but it is war. We will have to make decisions of life and death that lie beyond the wisdom of man. We just have to pray to God to lead us in our action to as good a solution as exists. It was a dark day today, and it will be dark for some time to come.
So five years later, where are we? As for airline security, the new ban on liquids makes it seem like we still don’t know what we’re doing. Then again, today marks five years without an organized terrorist attack on American soil… and you know they’ve been trying.
We’re also more timid about fighting. The wars didn’t go as smoothly as we hoped… both on the field and in the media (and don’t pretend the second one isn’t important; the enemy has known to attack us there since the Vietnam War as it’s where we’re much more vulnerable). Those who don’t think terrorists are a threat needed to be dealt with are still a small minority, but few think it’s a priority worth any risk.
As for our politicians, we have the Democrats who only fear terrorist attacks in how it may kill their politics. The tiny people at DailyKos (the site today so far being dedicated to mocking Bush and their new enemy Disney) would be small things that we should ignore were it not that one of our political parties is so weak as to actual listen to them. That leaves the Republicans as the only hope to get anything done, but they’re timid knowing the public is wary of the ever looming “quagmire” (I notice I wrote “Republicans” and not “Bush” since I, unlike the deranged people on the left, don’t see everything in this country in terms of our temporary president).
Are we a changed people? Most definitely, but I don’t know if it’s in primarily a good way. Were there to be another huge terrorist attack, I fear the reaction by most (including myself) would not be the huge bond between all people we had in 2001, but instead we’d immediately wonder how things we would be affected politically. We’d all wonder whether we would finally commit to eliminating our enemy like we need to, or would instead the hawks finally be sunk.
So, five years later, I feel jaded. Still, I remain hopeful that we will rise up to the challenge again, and it won’t take another attack and death beyond imagine to motivate us. What we need are people stand at center stage who we can root for again. They need to be serious people with convictions – convictions enough to motivate us all – to lead the way. I know I’m not one of them, but I might as well try to be one of those people – as should all of you – because it’s what we owe those who died… not just those on September 11th but all those who have died fighting for the betterment of mankind throughout the world and throughout history. The enemy may seem insane — even silly at times — but the terrorists are a creeping threat to our way of life and grow in strength whenever we act weakly. Our civilization is not assured, and it never will be. The fight against evil is one that we will have to continue until the day we die, as that battle only ends if we surrender.
And we will never surrender.
I am utterly speechless.
I attended a 9/11 memorial yesterday at Fairmount Park in Riverside, CA. You’d be amazed, even in Commie-fornia, that in this inland area, there are so many Vets and so many Patriots. This was far and away the best thing I have done in years.
Amazing to me, was that the Mexican families that were flying the Mexican flag in the park prior to the start of the Ceremony, took the banner down as the VFW team 40 color guard advanced the colors. Simply amazing given what we have seen over the past 4 or 5 months.
I came to the park yesterday to meet a very special person to me. She is a Gold Star Mother, spokeswoman for T.A.P.S., Tragedy Assistence Program for Survivors (of Military personnel), and mother of my friend Pat, killed in action on Feb. 11, 2004 in Radwaniyah district, Baghdad, Iraq. When Pat’s vehicle was hit by an IED, his driver was killed instantly. Pat, operating the turret mounted .50 cal machine gun was mortally wounded as well, except for one thing. He got that up-gun moving, shooting round-after-round across the canal where the islamofascists were, and kept suppressive fire until all of us were safe, and all 400 rounds were expended. He then went down into the turret and told his commanding officer, also in the vehicle, that he was shot, and then he died.
Pat was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with “V” for valor, and the Silver Star… the only one in our area to receive such honors.
Pat was a good friend. He rose to the occasion when necessary. Pat’s only desire after 9/11 was to bring the fight to the enemy. And he did.
No one wants to be a hero. Pat, especially. I miss Pat, but I honor and respect him everyday, because he saved others lives. Because he saved my life.
Yesterday, I was only expecting to visit with Pat’s mom at the ceremony. I ended up being put “on the spot” for interviews with local stations and on a PodCast for a program that seeks to show the GOOD that is happening in the War on Terror. I was more than glad to help.
The PodCast link is not up yet, but it should be available soon at the Talking with Heroes website.
BTW, if someone out here has lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere in the War on Terror, please visit the TAPS website.
Thanks.
Well said Frank,
I agree how strange the effect of this day is. I was in a daily production meeting this morning and it was difficult not to break down and cry when the plant PA asked for a moment of silence at 8:46.
Frank & all-Do not despair nor feel bad about the war. “The wars didn’t go as smoothly as we hoped…” What wildly optimistic hopes or expectations did you have? It astonishes me how much ordinary people seem to have internalized liberal propaganda. It is a sad truth that 3000 soldiers dead is one small Pacific island in WW2 (or one terror attack) yet people act as though we can’t take what are the lowest casualty rates in history. I expected 50K-100K American dead. Defeat is when our armies are killed or surrender and our nation is occupied. Victory is when we do that to them. We have never even lost a battle. Hell we’ve never even had prisoners taken. Do not see a messy victory as a defeat.
Well said, Frank.
No war has ever gone as hoped. The Battle of Mannassas is the best example. In the belief that the South would (MURTHA) “cut and run”, locals from Washington and Maryland actually showed up to picnic and watch the battle.
There are those of us who will continue to battle even as they knock down our doors.
FrankJ wrote:
“What we need are people stand at center stage who we can root for again. They need to be serious people with convictions – convictions enough to motivate us all – to lead the way.”
That really is what 9/11 was about for you, wasn’t it? Not how to most effectively deal with an attack on America. Not how to prevent another such attack on America safe why still protecting its citizens’ rights.
No, 9/11 was about you finding someone to “root for.” Someone with “convictions” (convictions about what? oh yeah — we hate the terrorist, they attacked our freedom, insert cliche slogan here).
That is why you loved Bush so much. He was a made to order cheerleader for you. No need to think for yourself about what this country REALLY needs to be do to solve the actual problem of terrorists attacking America. Instead, just repeat the slogans and follow the leader where he tells us to go — in this case, into Iraq.
Now the bloom on that rose has faded, and rather than ask yourself hard questions about why you followed him into a quagmire that has cost billions of dollars, thousands of lives, and yet has made America less safe, you still aren’t able to question your worldview, or even question your thinking — you just want to find a new cheerleader you can root to “victory.”
Pathetic.
Peace,
Monkey Faced Liberal
This is a bit OT, but since the thread has turned towards the war, I feel it necessary to point out that our enemy does not seek to overwhelm us with pure military might. They can’t. It’s that simple. What we must prevent, and I mean WE very literally, is to allow our enemy to break our will. This is a war of politics, and ideology, not soldiers and tanks. The US must remain steadfast in it’s role as the world’s lone superpower, and guide the direction of the world. If our populace’s will is broken, then the politicians will bend to their constituency. Once that happens, the military, no matter how well they have done to this point, will be brought home. The politicians will spin it to look like we decided we needed “another direction”. The only problem is this is a retreat as surely as if our military had been beaten on the battlefield.
MFL,
Today, you’re simply sad. Do you really have nothing better to do today than troll this site? Maybe there are more important things you could obsess with than trying to find something in one of my posts you can harp on.
Seriously, who are you? Are you some kid on your Mom’s internet access? Do you eve aspire to anything beyond the pathetic?
God bless America and the West on this sad day.
fmragtops,
When I talked about things not going smoothly, a lot of it was referring to the media where many reporter see their job to erode support.
Still, many in the military are a bit jaded. My brother is one of them; of course, being a Marine, his preferred approach would be much more extreme.
Hard questions, MFL? Oh, you mean like how can I sit here and say we’re less safe even though there hasn’t been an attack on US soil, and there are dead terrorists everywhere, and two terrorist sponsoring regimes toppled, with Iran dead in our sights, but we’re less safe.
Hard questions like how can I sit here and bemoan how many of my civil rights have been trampled, yet fear not that the FBI will be around shortly to pick me up and feed me feet first into a plastic shredder?
Since you are such an enlightened, progressive, dirty hippy, why don’t you, for once, propose something different.
You want to see Republicans out of office? Why don’t you motivate someone to offer a real alternative. Give the people something to vote for besides failure and loserism.
FrankJ wrote:
“Today, you’re simply sad…aspire to anything beyond the pathetic?”
You shut up! My mom says I’m cool!
And I’m not pathetic. Being a troll is important work; more important than that stupid bagging job I got fired from. Someone has to tell all you ignorant people how ignorant you are.
You hear me, ignorant people? If not, I’m here all day.
Peace,
Monkey Faced Liberal
Frankj, I wasn’t taking issue with anything you said. Just throwing in my two cents.
The members of the military being jaded is completely understandable. They are probably tired of being used like a pawn in the game of politics. Tell future LT Joe Foo The Marine we all appreciate him and his service.
MFL,
I rarely ban people, but it’s actually kinda fun.
You’re banned!
You’ve never made a signal substantive point your entire time here, and instead just cause un-needed distractions in the comments sections.
We have to find some slightly less pathetic trolls; there were some promising ones in that overly-trolled post from the other day.
Thank you, thank you,thank you,thank you,thank you,thank you,thank you,thank you,thank you!
Frank you are my hero. May the stench of MFL never waft over the scarlet pages of IMAO again. May the fleas of a thousand camel infest his burka.
Seriously great post. Sometimes things just aren’t funny and ought not to be demeaned. MFL has no taste, compassion, manners or any of the finer human feelings which man can be blessed with. Banning is too good for him. Shunning comes to mind with a side order of ignoring. Or a free ticket to Bagdad, so he can debate with the animals who seek to destroy all freedom no matter where it is.
I was unemployed at the time, so I had the opportunity to watch the news coverage non-stop that day. I tuned in right as the second plane hit. At first I wasn’t sure if it was real or a special effect.
Like Frank, I was waiting for a call to arms, and have grown frustrated by our long term response to the enemy.
Not to get all ominous and scary, but war is coming. What’s going on now is a dress rehersal. I don’t think we’re doomed, though, so I haven’t made any “The End Is Nigh” signs to carry around.
Five years after that day I sometimes find myself fighting either despair or rage, or many variations of both. On September 11 2001 one of my first coherent thoughts was, “dammit, I’m too old to reenlist.” It wasn’t until sometime last year that I learned I wasn’t. But losing a decade and a half of easy living and my wife’s good cooking is frustrating, and slow as hell. But days like this remind me of what’s important, and helps galvanize my goal of reenlisting before both my sons join. Hell, it’s not like we’ll run out of bad guys to zap any time soon.
God bless America.
I would return to the military, if they would take me again, but I am too old now. Instead, I am forced to leave it to my son, grandson and nephew. I was the second of four generations of military, and at times I do become disillusioned with our government, but I never stop supporting those in uniform and never will.
Damn.
You can really write when you put your mind to it, can’t you Frank? I understand what you meant, but I have to go with fmragtops. You and your fellows, of all people, must stand tall and continue to bring the fire down upon the heads of the animals who did the deed and all those who support them. Here AND abroad.
My instinct was to enlist that day. But alas, I did not. Now, after losing a foot to a Motorcycle accident, I wish I could go back and do it again. This time joining the Marines and kicking some terrorist tail.
So much for life without regret.
To Arms!
I couldn’t agree more.
See this piece I posted today:
A 9/11 Message from RBT
RBT
Great writing Frank. Bittersweet prose.
I live about a mile & a half from Pat Robertson. I can’t get to the house itself, but I could TP his fence & gate with a resounding, “THIS IS FOR FRANK, BIATCH” if youd like.
Thanks for sharing; I enjoyed reading whilst recovering from thumb twiddling here at work.
I was hoping there would soon be a call for people to join the military for a huge counter-attack (I even gave my boss notice the next day that, if there was any talk of needed people to join the military, I’d have to resign and do so).
Oh so you didn’t join because there was no CALL for volunteers. Now I get it.