Hail To Our New Patriotism

By Joe Christopher

Part 1 or 2
The events of September 11th, 2001 will forever be burned into the minds and memories of all able-minded Americans much as the assassination of President John F Kennedy and the Challenger explosion. Out of the ashes of the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon, our nation has united together as I have never seen it unite before. I was not on the planet for Pearl Harbor but I believe that the anger and resolve of the United States and its citizens is very similar to the aftermath of December 7, 1941.

That fateful Tuesday, the skyline of New York City and the lives of people all over this country were altered forever. Our nations symbol of military might was an alternate target and was sustained heavy damage. Countless people lost their lives and many more lost their loved ones. Our very security was violated by a group of fanatic monsters that are convinced that we are the infidels. They gladly give their lives to the cause and we don’t know where they will come from next. We cannot comprehend their mindset and lack of value for the lives of innocent men, women and children and therefore react like deer caught in the headlights. These beasts do not conduct a war of words nor honor. They conduct a war of fear and bloodshed.

For the better part of the week I still awoke thinking that I had just had a nightmare or that I was watching a movie. The entire sequence of events is still surreal.

The heroes of this tragedy are surfacing each hour that it unfolds. The passengers on the United Airlines flight that crashed in Pennsylvania were obvious heroes as they struggled with the hijackers to crash the aircraft in a wooded area thereby preventing more casualties. Can you imagine the thoughts running through the minds of the passengers who struggled to crash that plane instead of allowing the thugs to make it to their target? They knew that they were not going to survive the crash but they also resolved to keep the casualties to just the people on that plane. What courage it must have taken. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.

Then we heard many stories of courage and selflessness from the WTC and the people who worked in the building as well as police and firemen who rushed to the scene. Many of the first rescue personnel on the scene perished because the second plane crash sent debris reigning down on them and next the collapses of tower one and two came in rapid succession as they were at ground zero trying to save lives. As these events were unfolding, additional rescue personnel arrived to try to rescue their peers as civilians. Their patriotism leapt to the forefront as they learned what the real cause for the chaos was. Flags went up on top of rubble piles as the rescue and recovery effort progressed. Thousands of construction heroes along with the police and fire departments began the arduous task at hand. Around this great nation, citizens of all colors and walks of life responded with sorrow, anger and resolve. The people of this great country showed their class and patriotism.
Part 2 next week.