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Mike Moser We will never be the same Someone's mother. Another's father. A brother.
A sister. Grandchildren and children. The man in the next cubicle who helped boot
a co-worker's computer. A window washer. The lady who brought
home-baked goodies to share with her friends on the job. A boss
with an encouraging word. The office clown. Policemen sworn to serve and protect. Firefighters
whose second nature is to rescue. Ambulance workers who responded
expecting to care for the injured. Doctors who rushed to the
scene to share their skills. A fire department chaplain administering
last rites. Passengers of all ages and walks of life boarding
planes for a host of reasons and final destinations and purposes
of travel. Young military workers, old war dogs and clerical
support personnel whose daily labor it is to ensure our way of
life. Americans. On Sept. 11, 2001, this country suddenly changed
and from this generation forward, we will never be the same.
Faceless terrorists using civilians to kill other civilians by
commandeering commercial planes and deliberately crashing them
into strategic targets. America has been socked in the stomach ...
we have had the wind knocked out of us ... but the terrorists
obviously do not read history books because we also got the wind
knocked out of us at Pearl Harbor. It just really stirs our anger
to higher degree. Indeed, the sun did rise Wednesday, and there
was a new day, and with the dawn, a new resolve that this is
America and how dare anyone do this to us. It is obvious the terrorists didn't read a
Japanese admiral's quote following that country's attack on Pearl
Harbor: "I'm afraid we've done nothing more than to awaken
a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." The scene was traumatic to watch, surreal.
Events like this are very emotional because we find out just
how vulnerable we can be. But the most important thing these terrorists
did not learn from history is the resolve of the American people
to rise to the occasion, meet the challenge, and avenge our pain
and anguish. Now is the time for Americans to fly their
flags, to donate their blood and to support her leaders. We should also recognize that not all Muslims
are Arabs, not all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists, and not
all terrorists are Muslims or Arabs. We, too, should learn from
history as we remember Oklahoma City and Timothy McVeigh. We should not rush to judgment, but rather,
gather our evidence, identify the guilty and accomplices including
those who harbor, and to firmly move against these forces of
terrorism. Leave to the world no doubt about our will. The next few days and weeks will be painful
for us as a nation. Helplessness and anger can only lead to despair.
Let us start the healing process even as we continue to hear
the horror stories out of New York City and Washington, DC. And when the time comes to bring to justice
those terrorists responsible for the worst mass murder by terrorism
in American history, let us stand as one and support our leaders,
law enforcement officers and our military and show the world
that freedom-loving countries will no longer tolerate these cowardly
acts. Let justice be exact and swift. And God bless America. |