We all know what happened that sunny morning in September, 12 years ago today. Our world, the entire world changed forever. I wonder if it will ever be the same again. Somehow, I doubt it.
I chose the picture above, for a reason. Without the billowing smoke from the twin towers, it was a familiar scene to me. I grew up in northern New Jersey. The view across the Hudson River was as familiar to me as one's own neighborhood would be. I remember my mother telling my brother and me not to go into "The City" on warm summer days. We would be home for summer vacation and New York City was just a half hour bus ride away. Of course, many times, we didn't listen to mom.
The interesting thing about those times is, there was a large Muslim population in Manhattan, even back then. No one thought anything special about them. There were no epithets of any kind thrown their way. The Muslim people that I saw seemed like anyone else in the great melting pot of humanity that was then and still is New York City. Many of the men wore "funny" hats and there were indeed a lot of women who were covered from head to toe, including their faces. But, we thought nothing of it. Manhattan was full of "different" people.
I've traveled all over the world and there were many places that I'm sure I would have been considered different. It just didn't matter.
For years, we all had read in the news about "Radical Muslim" groups. As Americans, we didn't think much about them. Even after the failed attack on the World Trade Center, we mostly ignored the threat. I can remember that my brother and I shook our heads in disbelief because one of the conspirators was captured because he went back to the truck rental agency to get his deposit back on the truck he blew up. It seemed like something from a bad movie. Certainly, it wasn't real. It didn't seem so. How wrong we all were.
My oldest child was on Active Duty with the United States Marine Corps at the time of the attack. Her future husband would eventually be deployed to Iraq as a result of the 9/11 attacks. I give a prayer of thanks daily that they were returned home to us, alive.
Our lives have changed greatly in the last 12 years. Air travel is more difficult than it used to be. The Government has become more intrusive than before. I remember the famous story of the two recent medical school graduates who were traveling and stopped in a restaurant. The waitress didn't understand the language they were speaking so, she called the police. The ensuing panic cost the two doctors their residency training. They had done nothing wrong.
So, what's the point of all of this? I didn't want to just write a story about 9/11 detailing what happened. We all know what happened. I wanted to talk about how we as a people and a Nation have changed.
We are no longer as trusting. We don't trust strangers and in many cases, we don't trust friends. We certainly don't trust the Government.
I do know one thing for certain. In excess of 4,500 United States Fighting Men and Women will never be returning home to live their lives.
I'm not talking about wounded. Those numbers are even bigger.
I've said this before, I'll repeat it again here.
Each and every member of the United States Uniformed Services signs the "Code of Conduct". Article 1 of that code reads"
I am an American, fighting in the armed forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
To each and every person in uniform, wether you serve in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard we are all with you every day. You are in our thoughts and our hearts.
For all of those who have served and are now called Veteran, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your faithful service and sacrifice. May you all be able to live in peace for a long and happy lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment