How has your life changed because of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001?
People living in the New York City area, around the nation’s Capitol, and those connected with the four airline flights involved whose family, friends, and associates were killed or injured, their lives will never be the same hurt beyond repair in some ways. Those who’ve been called to arms to fight the war on terror continue to pay a tremendous price. Between those killed from the attacks and in our military, the death toll stands at over 7,000. Considering tens of thousands of people worked in the twin towers of the World Trade Center, how much bravery and little miracles kept the count from escalating higher.
One cannot travel by air and not be aware of greater restrictions to assure passenger safety from potential terrorists. We can also look at many public facilities see the barriers put in place to create a safety zone that could hopefully thwart truck bombers and other threats. We’ve also had to go through more security entering everything from office buildings, sports events, and rock concerts for fear that large assemblies make desirable targets.
However, perhaps what’s most alarming is how little we have been affected, how quickly life returned to normal, how little we have been interrupted in any way, and how easy the lessons of that horrible event are ignored.
How horrible it is that much of the energy generated against what happened to us is not being directed at the Islamic extremists behind this most wicked event but has been turned inward whether its those hateful sick bastards who perpetuate 9/11 conspiracy theories, the attempts to gloss over the events behind a wall of political correctness, or just simple complacency as if no one wants to be bothered distracted from their day-to-day affairs.
Perhaps it would be better if those horrible events resulted in us having to do something at least a little differently in some ways. Don’t we need some little reminders to reinforce our resolve to continue the fight?
Thankfully, despite massive intelligence gathering operations, we have not lost our freedom. The instant that would start to happen would be the first stages of surrender to our hated enemy.
As we have stated along with many others, we did not choose this war; this war chose us. We can withdraw from Iraq or Afghanistan. We can call the war on terror by nicer names. We can talk around that we have a bitter enemy in radical Islam. Those who attacked us will continue to press on. They think in terms we do not. We are “now” people looking at the present and instant results. They see this as a struggle for the ages and will continue to spread their religion and politics of death. Until every last person on this earth is under their murderous control, anyone and anything in their way could be destroyed. We treasure life. They see no greater glory than dying for their wicked beliefs and nothing is more heroic than killing nonbelievers and dying a martyr.
We must have faith that because we choose life and they choose death, we will ultimately win. However, we cannot let somebody else do it. We cannot depend of the rest of the world. We cannot even depend on our government. Our government is a sickly reflection of ourselves. Unless they are constantly reminded and supported that we as a people stand strong, the ship of state will stray off course.
In the meantime, our life goes on, and nothing more than witnessing the deaths of so many Americans can remind us more just how precious our lives are and beautiful the love we share for those in our hearts. We are also reminded when we see the sick application of Islam as the blueprint for destruction, that God is alive, in our hearts, in our nature, and providing us a pathway to deal with this most horrible reality. If there has ever been a clearer battle of good against evil, we have found it just as the great generation fought Nazi Germany and the death culture of the Axis powers so few decades ago.
We look to our grandparents and great grandparents whose time on this earth is rapidly passing for they knew what it took to unite, sacrifice and conquer a great evil. Their values and lessons of personal responsibility and shared sacrifice seem so alien to the “me” culture of baby boomers and Generation X. It’s time for baby boomers on the twilight of their golden years to grow up and for Generation X to step up. Future generations depend on our resolve.
Do not let this day pass without saying a prayer connecting with the goodness of God and let your heart guide its content. Express your love and appreciation to someone special in your life. No matter your hardships, count your blessings.
We must also be realistic. Those who hate us will strike again. Can we be prepared?
People living in the New York City area, around the nation’s Capitol, and those connected with the four airline flights involved whose family, friends, and associates were killed or injured, their lives will never be the same hurt beyond repair in some ways. Those who’ve been called to arms to fight the war on terror continue to pay a tremendous price. Between those killed from the attacks and in our military, the death toll stands at over 7,000. Considering tens of thousands of people worked in the twin towers of the World Trade Center, how much bravery and little miracles kept the count from escalating higher.
One cannot travel by air and not be aware of greater restrictions to assure passenger safety from potential terrorists. We can also look at many public facilities see the barriers put in place to create a safety zone that could hopefully thwart truck bombers and other threats. We’ve also had to go through more security entering everything from office buildings, sports events, and rock concerts for fear that large assemblies make desirable targets.
However, perhaps what’s most alarming is how little we have been affected, how quickly life returned to normal, how little we have been interrupted in any way, and how easy the lessons of that horrible event are ignored.
How horrible it is that much of the energy generated against what happened to us is not being directed at the Islamic extremists behind this most wicked event but has been turned inward whether its those hateful sick bastards who perpetuate 9/11 conspiracy theories, the attempts to gloss over the events behind a wall of political correctness, or just simple complacency as if no one wants to be bothered distracted from their day-to-day affairs.
Perhaps it would be better if those horrible events resulted in us having to do something at least a little differently in some ways. Don’t we need some little reminders to reinforce our resolve to continue the fight?
Thankfully, despite massive intelligence gathering operations, we have not lost our freedom. The instant that would start to happen would be the first stages of surrender to our hated enemy.
As we have stated along with many others, we did not choose this war; this war chose us. We can withdraw from Iraq or Afghanistan. We can call the war on terror by nicer names. We can talk around that we have a bitter enemy in radical Islam. Those who attacked us will continue to press on. They think in terms we do not. We are “now” people looking at the present and instant results. They see this as a struggle for the ages and will continue to spread their religion and politics of death. Until every last person on this earth is under their murderous control, anyone and anything in their way could be destroyed. We treasure life. They see no greater glory than dying for their wicked beliefs and nothing is more heroic than killing nonbelievers and dying a martyr.
We must have faith that because we choose life and they choose death, we will ultimately win. However, we cannot let somebody else do it. We cannot depend of the rest of the world. We cannot even depend on our government. Our government is a sickly reflection of ourselves. Unless they are constantly reminded and supported that we as a people stand strong, the ship of state will stray off course.
In the meantime, our life goes on, and nothing more than witnessing the deaths of so many Americans can remind us more just how precious our lives are and beautiful the love we share for those in our hearts. We are also reminded when we see the sick application of Islam as the blueprint for destruction, that God is alive, in our hearts, in our nature, and providing us a pathway to deal with this most horrible reality. If there has ever been a clearer battle of good against evil, we have found it just as the great generation fought Nazi Germany and the death culture of the Axis powers so few decades ago.
We look to our grandparents and great grandparents whose time on this earth is rapidly passing for they knew what it took to unite, sacrifice and conquer a great evil. Their values and lessons of personal responsibility and shared sacrifice seem so alien to the “me” culture of baby boomers and Generation X. It’s time for baby boomers on the twilight of their golden years to grow up and for Generation X to step up. Future generations depend on our resolve.
Do not let this day pass without saying a prayer connecting with the goodness of God and let your heart guide its content. Express your love and appreciation to someone special in your life. No matter your hardships, count your blessings.
We must also be realistic. Those who hate us will strike again. Can we be prepared?
2 comments:
Interesting blog, but it’s missing an important part of the equation: Generation Jones (born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Generation X). Google Generation Jones, and you’ll see it’s gotten a ton of media attention, and many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) now specifically use this term. In fact, the Associated Press' annual Trend Report forecast the Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend of 2009. Here's a page with a good overview of recent media interest in GenJones: http://generationjones.com/2009latest.html
It is important to distinguish between the post-WWII demographic boom in births vs. the cultural generations born during that era. Generations are a function of the common formative experiences of its members, not the fertility rates of its parents. Many experts now believe it breaks down more or less this way:
DEMOGRAPHIC boom in babies: 1946-1964
Baby Boom GENERATION: 1942-1953
Generation Jones: 1954-1965
Generation X: 1966-1978
That makes a lot of sense. The "baby boomers" are often given much more time than a generation should receive. I was born in '53 the last group who got shipped to 'Nam. My brother was born in '55 and faced a very different reality. A dear friend of mine was born in 1964 and swore she was a boomer until recently, now she's claiming herself as a Gen-Xer. Go figure.
However, there's no question the folks born from the end of WWII to 1953 have different circumstances and values in many ways than those from the "Jones" era. I'm not sure those born in 1942 are boomers, I'd think of them as war-babies. It's after the soldiers got home and made love, 1946 or 47 as the beginning of the boomers.
Still, thanks for your thoughts. Would some of it depend on parents age at birth? My parents were born in 1919 and 1921 for instance.
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