bestideas

On September 11, 2008, we mark the 7th anniversary of one of the darkest days in American history. There will be pomp and ceremony marking the occasion. Reading of the names of the victims, bells tolling, tears and remembrances. President Bush, for the last time as President will, no doubt, give a speech and point out the positives that came out of that tragic and horrifying day. We have, certainly, done serious damage to Al Qaeda. We have taken down two totalitarian regimes in the Taliban and Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial Iraq. We have headed off attacks in allied countries and minimized other attacks by due diligence and the cooperation of various intelligence agencies. There have been mistakes. But how could we ever have been convinced of victory in a Global War on Terror while Saddam Hussein was still in power, supporting and financing terrorist groups like Hamas?  

Back then, Congress joined hands and sang God Bless America two days after and we all said, in a collective voice, that we will never forget. Have we forgotten?  

We all rallied around the phrase Let’s Roll back then as it was the last thing uttered by one of the Flight 93 heroes. Have we forgotten the depths of the sacrifice that these people made? 

We are in an election year and one of the Presidential candidates uses the battle against terrorism as a political game or slogan, voted against the Iraqi operation and promises to end the war within 16 months. Has he forgotten what happened after we cut and ran from Vietnam in 1974? The historic bloodbath that ensued and the millions of deaths on our hands? Is he willing to accept the consequences of a cut and run strategy from Iraq? 

For the last six years (they gave a one year grace period), pacifist, anti-security factions of our society, including some in our own Government have come up with some of the most fallacious conspiracy theories about our own Government’s “plots” to bring down the World Trade Center Towers by explosives for obviously nefarious reasons. Some of the Hollywood loonies, like Rosie O’Donnell and Charlie Sheen have taken part in furthering these theories. Of course, they bring no evidence to back up their claims. Have they forgotten? Senator Obama made a speech defining Patriotism. Who is he trying to sell this bill of goods to? We the People? Or himself? To me, the definition of Patriotism is as simple as giving your country the benefit of the doubt before anyone else. Assume your country to be innocent until proven guilty. Why is it easier for some in this country to conclude that our own Government would explode office buildings, then a fanatical terrorist group, whose beef with the US goes back several decades? Why do some believe that Saddam Hussein did not sponsor and provide aid and comfort to terrorists, to which we have proof, but are easily willing to convict the President of the United States of some shadowy charges that, I might add, have no substantiation? I guess it soothes their consciences to always blame America first. It’s easy to believe, for some, that the big dog in the fight is always wrong and the US is the big dog. It leads to the falsehood that if we just talked directly to Ahmadinijad that Iran would stop hating us. That if we made a deal with him, he would stop his desire for nuclear weapons to shoot at Israel or whoever. Why is it always America’s fault? How about we blame the real devil in this deal? The terrorists!  How about we practice real and unadulterated Patriotism and believe in our country first? If you feel it in your heart, you do not have to define Patriotism. It comes easy. And I, for one, have not forgotten…

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