NEVER FORGET

It has been a struggle to write a post to commemmorate the tenth anniversary of September 11th.  It is still, even ten years later, such a difficult thing to come to grips with.  Watching the footage - planes flying into buildings, mushrooming clouds of orange flame and black smoke, people plunging to their deaths, the stunned, ash-covered survivors wandering through the debris after the towers came down - it's all still so sharp and painful, like a knife to the heart. 

So I've tried to focus on the silver lining, as I am wont to do.  The open wound that was Ground Zero in past years has given way to the rapidly climbing Freedom Tower, rising up towards its goal of dominating the American skyline 1,776 feet above the plaza surrounding the seemingly endless Footprint Waterfalls in Memorial Park. The memorial at the Pentagon with it's graceful commemmorative benches and their invitation for a quiet, pensive moment of reflection and the ever-growing memorial at Shanksfield are a testament to our deep desire to honor and remember.  But they are also symbols of our desire to move forward and show that we were bowed but not broken.  The American spirit will rise like a phoenix from the ashes of despair to greet the new day.  Morning in America will dawn once more.

The most important change this year, though, is that America finally got justice, and it seems to have changed the tone of the day. While it is still a sad, solemn occasion, it seems to be tempered this time; less anguished, more mellow. Perhaps it's just because ten years have passed, and time heals all wounds. But it's more likely because the focus of our national rage has been, literally, deep-sixed. We have closure. We were struck, and we struck back. The killing of Osama Bin Laden has done much to help the healing.  Does that make us bloodthirsty?  No, it makes us human.  Although we, in this most Christian of nations, prefer forgiveness to vengeance, we also recognize sometimes it is necessary to go a little Old Testament.  It's hard to imagine another event deserving of an eye-for-an-eye retributive strike (and for those who think 9/11 was an inside job, do they also believe President Obama is a murderer for killing Bin Laden who, after all, was an innocent man according to their theories?).  Bin Laden's death was a healing salve on the national wound; the final step in our recouperation.

On this tenth anniversary, there seems to be a bit of a feeling of letting go.  A real, solid sense of healing.  A new understanding that, truly, this too shall pass.  We must never forget the events of that day, or allow the issue to be clouded.  But we are learning that it is possible to be ever vigilant, that it's possible to pay homage, and yet still move on; to progress, to prosper, to thrive.  And therein lies our ultimate victory over those who sought to bring us low.  

Therein lies our power, the thing they will never understand.  When terror strikes at our hearts, it strengthens our resolve.  We will not cower like beaten dogs before a cruel master.  We are stronger than that.  We are better than that.  We are American.

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NEVER FORGET

PAIN, COMPASSION AND POLITICS

September 11th is particularly pognant this year. It is a difficult day for many americans anyway; a day to remember and, even nine years later, to grieve. It is a day that we, the citizens of the most powerful country on earth, are confronted by our vulnerability. Nine years and one day ago, the US was on top of the world. We were the gentle giant, leading the world with our innovation and thriving economy. It seemed inconceivable that just 24 hours later, we would be brought to our knees in shared grief, anger and disbelief. The horror of it all is still a raw, gaping wound on the psyche of the country as a whole.


This year, 9/11 will be more emotional for many because of the proposed mosque scheduled to be built two blocks away in a building that was partially destroyed on 9/11 when it was hit with the landing gear of one of the planes. This project is an affront to all who lost loved ones that horrific day. For those who say "It's not the "Ground Zero Mosque" - it's two whole blocks away!" the response is simple - it was destroyed by the same forces that destroyed the Twin Towers. It is Ground Zero. Adding insult to injury, the mosque has been fast tracked, even though a Greek Orthodox church, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001 when one of the towers fell on it, has yet to receive approval to rebuild.

This past week has been a three-ring circus of outrages, from the unyielding determination of the mosque builders to the lunatic in Florida who has threatened to burn a Qu'ran today to the burning of american flags in protest of the qu'ran burning.  The nearly 70% of americans who oppose the mosque have been called "islamophobes", racists, zionists, and a plethora of other insults in an attempt to shut them up. They have even been threatened, if you consider a warning of a potential explosion of rage in the muslim world if the mosque isn't built exactly where Imam Rauf wants it built as a threat.  His assertion that "the story will be that the radicals have taken over the discourse" is laughable, at best.  The "warning" he issued is quite indicative of exactly which radicals will take over the discourse and from where the violence will come.  Michelle Malkin has an interesting rundown of some other incidents that have caused "explosions of anger" in the muslim world. This threat is nothing new. It is endlessly fascinating that, with all the rhetoric over the years that attempts to paint "radical christians" and right wing extremist opposition as somehow worse than jihadis, there has been no talk of the potential risk of a terrorist attack on the mosque.

Quite frankly, the constant threats have become tiresome, as is the perpetual kowtowing to these extremists. No, they don't represent a majority of muslims, but they certainly seem to be the only voice we hear on the subject. There should be no support whatsoever for the burning of the qu'ran, and the pastor who threatened it dropped the level of the debate to somewhere in the septic tank range. However, his attempt to equate the atrocity of burning the qu'ran with the atrocity of building an islamic center and mosque on the site of a devastating, deadly attack made in the name of islam has some merit. Both acts are an affront to all that is civil and respectful. The fact is, both acts are legal under our constitution, and both acts are morally objectionable. In the case of the pastor, he stepped back from the edge. In the case of the imam, he is refusing to budge from his position.

If the aim of this "cultural center" was really to build bridges between the muslim world and americans, Rauf is definitely going about this the wrong way. Part of building a bridge is to meet halfway. Demanding the submission of the american people to his will is most certainly not what most people would consider compromise. That President Obama is backing Rauf and his demands is not surprising either. After all, this is the man whose idea of compromise is for his opposition to shut up and support his agenda or be demonized.

Staking out a position on the legality of the situation but refusing to comment on the morality of it speaks volumes about Obama's inability to properly unite and lead this country. He may be charismatic, but he lacks empathy and he seems to lack the understanding that he is not just the commander in chief, but our moral leader as well. That he does not understand the pain the mosque is inflicting on his people is indicative of his problems in the polls of late. Because the wound is still raw, we need a leader who understands our pain. Sometimes, a president is like a mother - required to reassure, comfort and defend her children even when she doesn't understand the full extent of their pain. The fact that they are in pain is enough for her to act on their behalf. Instead, Obama comes off as some sort of frustrated step-father, who cannot understand why the child can't move on and has no interest in building a bond by attempting to empathize. It seems that all he sees are petulant children making his life difficult with their ridiculous demands for solace, understanding and protection from that which hurts them. For all of George W. Bush's faults (and there were many) he got this concept, and his approval ratings in the aftermath of 9/11 illustrate that quite clearly.

It is ironic in the extreme that the so-called party of compassion is so very uncompassionate when it comes to this grievous wound to our country. This year, when the hallowed ground of Ground Zero has become a political football for islamic radicals and the progressives who cater to them, our national loss is all the more poignant.

Cross Posted at the Ripley Report

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PAIN, COMPASSION AND POLITICS

LIVING IN FEAR

As the wife of a man who has to travel by air fairly frequently for work, situations like the Detroit bombing attempt really put me on edge.  Not only did we narrowly miss a catastrophe on Christmas Day, but now it turns out that just yesterday there was a security breach at Newark Airport. 

A man was seen walking the wrong way past security screening to the 'sterile' boarding areas.  It caused much delay and the man has yet to be found.  Flights that had boarded were cleared and the passengers re-screened.  Needless to say it caused major delays.  Hopefully they will identify and locate the person soon.

It is amazing how one pair of C4 skivvies can do so much to set us back on our heels.  Where I once had a vague feeling of unease, I now am on red alert. 

Who knows if reports of more underwear bombers are true or not, but we know these crazies are nothing if not persistent, so I wouldn't be surprised.  But after Christmas Day, I just don't have the confidence in the security systems in place.  It's as if 9/11 never happened.  Why?

Bureaucracy, plain and simple.  There are so many chefs in that kitchen that it is standing room only. 

The problem with this bureaucracy is that lives hang in the balance.  Much like ObamaCare, actually.  But twice as frightening.

As someone once said, we have to get it right every time - they just have to get it right once.  We were incredibly lucky to have averted disaster due solely to weapons malfunctions.  They are working out the kinks, and the next time we might not be so lucky. 

Part of the problem lies with the Bush era Office of the Director of National Intelligence for not putting the puzzle together (even though it was like a wooden toddler puzzle), but a larger part resides with the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  The sheer number of missed opportunities to catch Abdulmutallab is staggering, and they all happened on Obama's watch.  Yes, the ODNI should have put the pieces together, but just one of the many instances where he slipped under the radar (or was completely ignored in the interest of fairness or some such idiotic politically correct claptrap) should have alerted at least one of the agencies to the danger.  But none of them were.

Do they just not get it?  The terrorists weren't attacking us because George W. Bush was president.  They are attacking us because America is the 'Great Satan'. 

They hate us because we are rich, we are free, and we are Israel's greatest ally.  It's time for the Obama administration to realize this and act accordingly.  Actually, they've done quite a lot recently, at least as far as making us less rich, less free and less of a friend to Israel, but those aren't the changes we need, and they don't seem to be doing much to garner goodwill with the terrorist factions out for American blood.

Mirandizing Abdulmutallab and trying to cut a deal with him to get information on potential bombers in the works is a joke.  He has 'lawyered up' and won't say a word, because he was taught how to work the system.  This man is an al Qaeda operative - he has acknowledged it and so has al Qaeda.  That makes him an enemy combatant - an enemy soldier attacking civilians.  A war criminal.   He should be tried as such before a military tribunal.  Al Qaeda has studied our civilian courts and know how to exploit them - they want us to try them civilly.  We are playing into their hands.

To those who use the 'Bush tried Richard 'Shoe Bomber' Reid, among others, civilly' argument, please just stop.  I'm so sick of this administration using this argument.  Didn't Obama run against everything Bush?  Wasn't the whole point of the 2008 election to illustrate how Bush did nothing right?  I find it appalling how they cherry pick things that he did to justify doing the same thing, while in the same breath talking about how horrible Bush was and how flawed his decision making was.  Which is it?  I personally didn't agree with trying Richard Reid civilly.  He was also an al Qaeda operative who tried to slaughter civilians and should have been tried by a military tribunal.  Just because he doesn't wear a uniform and didn't sign paperwork to join al Qaeda doesn't mean he isn't an enemy soldier.  This isn't World War II, where armies were massed against each other and certain rules of engagement were observed.  This is terrorism, the next step in guerrilla warfare.  It is war, they are soldiers, and our governement needs to acknowledge this.

And waterboard the jihadi right out of Abdulmutallab, too, while you're at it - if there's a chance he has information on future plots, we need to know right now. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my thinking on that particular point. 

Perhaps if more of our bureaucrats were forced to fly commercial, there would be more done to make it truly safe.

In the meantime, every time my husband boards a flight, I live in fear.  It seems to me the terrorists are more successful than we give them credit for.

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LIVING IN FEAR