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We will never forget

Friday, September 11, 2009

I was going to write this to accompany today's comic, but this is too important to relegate anywhere but here.

It's difficult to believe it's been eight years since 9/11. Like Pearl Habor, the Kennedy assassination and the Challenger, it was the kind of day that is indelibly etched into the memory. I still remember the shock, fear and anger of that day, and the outpouring of heroism and patriotism in the days and weeks that followed.

It was a Tuesday, but I wasn't working, so it was an "errand day." We had the kids, then two and three, in tow, and were doing basic shopping. I remember how sketchy details were at first, and the horror as more and more came to light. Still, we went about our business. I got a haircut. We had a late lunch at one of our favorite restaurants because we knew they had big-screen TVs. And as the afternoon wore on, I felt the need to drink something, anything, to get my mind off things. We finished the day by watching Air Force One because by this time it was clearly a terrorist attack, and I wanted to see the fuckers get it.

I remember the price gouging of gas (and the lawsuits that followed a few months later). I remember looking at my fuel guage and internally debating whether to fill-up, being at a quarter tank, and making the (at the time) difficult decision not to, as waiting in the long lines would burn more gas than I could afford.

I remember the days and weeks that followed, with the uncertainty and fear that more attacks may be coming. I remember the resolve of the many who declared we would not bow to terrorism, that it would only make us stronger.

To this day we still give thanks daily for the men and women who sacrifice for us so that we may have our freedoms. As unpopular as the war has become, I still support it because I know terrorists will not negotiate, will not capitulate, will not stop until they have destroyed us. Literally. It is kill or be killed, and it makes me sick to see the mealy-mouthed weakness of so many of our elected officials who want to cut and run. Or who want to "sit down at the table." Terrorists will exploit even the smallest weakness we display to their advantage. They aren't afraid to die for their cause; why should our freedom be any different? I wasn't a fan of a lot of George Bush's policies, but I absolutely supported (and still do) the notion of taking the fight to those bastards. There's a reason there hasn't been another attack.

In fact, my only real complaint with the war is that we aren't doing enough. The terrorists do not follow Geneva conventions, and so neither should we. Kill or be killed. Period.

A lot of the media and politicians are downplaying today. Fuck them. It's the real Americans that remember. It's the real Americans that make up the greatest country that has ever existed. Obama and Congress are, without question, leading this nation down a path of destruction, but I have faith the real Americans will not stand for it and will not allow the country we love to be destroyed from within. This is why we will not forget. This is why today will always stand as a stark reminder of the freedom's we enjoy and price paid for them.

Stand proud, America. God bless.