Last year I didn’t write about this because I was traveling and tired and… well, it’s no excuse. Not that I have to write about it every year, because overall I’m getting more comfortable with its reality with every passing year, as I am with my dad’s passing, and of course we finally got Bin Laden didn’t we?
And yet, even though it feels like we’ve gotten some redemption, it also feels like something that will never go away because of the proliferation of new terrorist groups, all with the same intention of being stupid and thinking that they can change the entire world with their stupidity. All it does is make most of us angry and make us want to get vengeance. Hasn’t anyone learned from World War II when Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto reportedly said “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve“?
I’m not going to lie. I’m still angry about it all and it’s because of the exacerbation of these terrorist groups, and even some governments, who decide that they have the right to eradicate their own citizens under the guise of religious preference while calling out the United States and daring us to do anything about it. They even say they’re coming here to pull another 9/11 stunt; haven’t they realized what we’re capable of?
Goodness, for all the hate former President Bush got, I’m not mad at the guy for what our country, along with a coalition of other countries, did in Afghanistan. It’s just too bad their criminal element pretends to be upholding proper principles of leadership while other factions aren’t buying it and it looks like we’re never getting out of either Afghanistan or Iraq.
How do I really feel? Sometimes I feel like a real example needs to be made. In World War II President Harry Truman realized he could save multiple lives and end a war by dropping an atomic bomb on two cities. We have bombs capable of actually taking out total cities, probably millions with one shot. Every once in a while that’s just what I want to do, figure out where the majority of ISIS or Al Queda members are and just drop the big one and let the chips fall where they may. Would that be glorious?
No… unfortunately it wouldn’t be. True history teaches us that when something is done in the name of revenge that most of the time there’s nothing satisfying about it. Indeed, more often than not that type of thing comes back to hurt in more ways than one, and severely in fact. If you don’t believe that one just ask the Palestinians whether they still think attacking Israel in 1967 was one of their smarter moves; yes, I went there.
Sigh… I’m not big on forgiving and that’s one of my major faults; probably my only real personal fault. Sometimes, the only way I can get past a negative thought is to find something positive to feed my soul. I still can’t watch any documentaries on any of the September 11th events, but I can watch and feel proud of what occurred in the brief documentary video I’m sharing below, which I also shared on my blog post in 2012. Frankly, even now most people have no idea this even happened and what its significance was. Nope, I’m not telling you; just watch it and be amazed. This, after all, is what America is all about, and one of the reasons I’m proud to be a New Yorker and an American.
Hey Damien,
I hope we never have to fight to defend ourselves but if it comes down to that, either the world goes down with us or we’ll be victorious because Americans value freedom over anything, including death. That may sound strange but some of us have historical backgrounds of slavery and no one would want to go back to that.
I think you’re correct in that a vast majority of Americans would rather go-down fighting for freedom. However, I’m worried these days that many would not; that many would indeed embrace the enemy, especially considering recent news reports of Americans either fighting or attempting to fight for ISIL.
Derron, truth be told there’s always been factions of people, the overwhelming majority in fact, who have run away from war or fighting instead of towards it. Probably the last great war that people wanted to get into was World War II, and that was probably because news accounts almost never talked about the huge losses of American lives since media was much different back then. I think if it ever got close to that point again the big bombs would be going off and the majority of the world would pretty much die quickly and there won’t be enough people to fight, let alone do anything else. That’s scarier I think.
That is, indeed a scary thought. One in which, I’m sad to say, I do believe your are correct sir.
Hey Mitch,
I have a good friend whose birthday just happens to fall on 9-11 and I feel so sorry for her. Everyone is always telling her, still to this day, that they’re sorry her birthday is on this day. Do you know that in her office they won’t even celebrate her birthday because it’s on this particular day!
Do you know what I told her?
I think that everyone that lost their life on that day would not want everyone stopping their lives on that day and grieving. Granted, when someone passes away and under these circumstances I do think it was horrific but they would probably want their lives celebrated instead of the opposite. That other people like my friend should have to be treated this way on her special day because of this loss.
Was it horrible? Hell yeah! It’s in the past and we’re always going to have bad people in this world that make it their mission to make our lives miserable. Don’t let that bring you down though, there are a lot of really awesome people in this world. When you dwell on something enough you can’t ever move past it.
I’m really sorry to hear that you have an issue with forgiveness because it’s not about them, it’s about you. It’s giving you the peace of mind you need to move forward but that has nothing to do with thinking that whatever happened was okay. Not at all!
It’s 13 years later and I can’t believe it’s been that long already. It will just be one of those days no one forgets I’m afraid.
~Adrienne
Adrienne, I never forget, thus that’s why I can’t forgive all that easily. Having said that, it has to be something fairly egregious before I keep it locked in my mind as a bad thing forever, so I guess there’s lots of things I do let go of.
My dad passed away on Father’s Day, and it would be illogical of me to hold it against the rest of the country that wants to celebrate the day and honor their fathers just because it brings a bad memory to me. Instead, I track the date rather than the holiday and, luckily, the years gone by have eased the pain of it all. I’m sure it’ll happen with 9/11 one day, probably when I actually visit the site again since I now know there’s something there instead of a great big hole.
Hi Mitch,
Being a native New Yorker (and an American), 9/11 still hurts every time the date rolls around … and every time it crosses my mind, no matter what day that happens.
I’m reading The Federalist Papers again (for those who don’t know, it’s the series of letters to New Yorkers to explain the thinking behind the redesign of the U.S. Constitution, written by Hamilton, Jay et. al, and published in a major NY paper during the 1700s). My point is that the Federalist Papers remind me of the great premises and profound thinking about freedom this country was built upon. (In order to fully enjoy this, I have to hold at bay my feelings about slavery during that time and exhult in Obama being the embodiment of those papers.)
I feel you. A few well-placed bombs might solve some problems that threaten our freedom but who will be left to enjoy it?
Great perspective Vernessa, and who’d want to still be around in that type of world? I don’t think I’ve ever read the Federalist Papers so I’m giving you that one because I probably won’t. lol Still, you’re right about the reasons for creating this country of ours in the first place, an ideal that some still don’t like it seems.
Hi Mitch,
Though, I’m not a New Yorker but I still felt the pain of 9/11 because I could remember vividly how the event occurred exactly 13 years ago. It is a bad incident that I do not pray for again in my lifetime and also for upcoming generations.
However, one has to move on and let go of the past…although, it doesn’t sound that easy to let it go without remembering it every single year.
I pray we’ll all have fortitude to bear the loss and forge a great future for our nation all together.
But I must stress that I like France decision to bomb one of ISIS location this week. It is gladdening news of the week for me because these people keeps growing stronger on daily basis, threatening the security of the world at large.
We will surely prevail.
Hey Olawale, long time no see. Dude, I can tell you that you never let go of the past. My dad’s been gone 12 years now and that’s a past I’ll never let go of, especially because I was there when it happened and it was Father’s Day. What we do is learn to deal with it in our own way and move on from there. Actually, that’s a lesson I try to impart on people all the time, that we should remember the past so we don’t make the same mistakes that someone along the way is going to make that was done previously. We honor people who have done great deeds and heroic deeds and I think that’s important for us as a society and the world in general because it keeps us close to humanity and reminds us that all it takes are the actions of a few brave people to persevere.
Yeah!
I’ve been away for so long but now, I’m fully back! Thank God for that.
I got your point…situations like that usually left scars. It is good to know you’ve let go of them.
Dan