Thoughts on this Eve of the 4th of July
Posted by StormWarning on 03 Jul 2008 at 06:55 pm | Tagged as: Commentary, Editorial, Opinions, Patriotism
Our Nation’s history had begun a bit more than 225 years earlier, but for us all, time stopped at 8:46am Eastern time on September 11, 2001 when American Flight 11 hit the North Tower. I measure time now in the days and weeks and months since that moment, and cannot keep the tears from my eyes when I think of that moment or hear our National Anthem or other patriotic hymns. Those moments, from the shut down of the bridges and tunnels in NY City at 9:21am, to the collapse of the South Tower at 10:05am followed by the North Tower only 23 minutes later are a mark of time.
Right after the attacks, leading to the Joint Session of Congress, to the bi-partisan gathering on the steps of the Capitol Building, to the National Prayer Service on September 14th…
…we thought, felt and acted as one unified body of citizens.
What happened? One of my readers recently wrote, and I will refrain his comment here now…which for the most part, I agree with…
I remember the time immediately “following the attacks of Sept. 11, we were once again united, many people from many walks of life at a moment of great dispair.” Shortly after, on the 12th or 13th, my town had a patriotic parade. All the Memorial Day flags were flown from the street lamps and people in cars and pick-ups drove up and down the main street honking their horns, yelling, and waving flags. They were united.
Maybe my wife Neve and I are wired differently than most people, but we had a feeling of dread on that night. We are not the type of people who are easily pulled into the herd - though we may want to be at times. We worried that the folks honking and screaming, while supportive of the US, didn’t really know what was going on. Our friends gave us dissapproving looks for not joining in the party atmosphere.
Now, almost 7 years later, I think I see where the dread was pointing. This unity that felt so good, this clarity of purpose and assertion of absolute right — was used. It morphed into fear and silence — fear of being branded as unpatriotic and silence instead of discussion.
I really do feel that many of the mistakes in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the larger War on Terror, flowed directly from ‘moment of unity’. The checks and balances were removed, and instead of the Nation moving as one great force, political factions and interests used the opportunity to further their own agenda - to the detriment of their political foes, to the detriment a war effort, and to the great detriment of the Nation.
We all need to remember who we are People! Tonight, it is time to remember that we are “Americans, all.” We are not Black or White, Jewish or Christian or Muslim or Bhuddist or Hindu or atheist. We are “Americans, all.” If we forget that…if we lose sight of that, then we are doomed. Yes, we are doomed, because the terrorist attacks will have split us apart.
Be moved by Whitney Houston’s rendition. I cry when I watch it. I am, after all, an American.
And thanks to Right Truth for the link to the National Anthem (and for a reminder of who we are, and who are not).
4th of July, September 11th
Great post. I remember that image after September 11, 2001. We were united, or it seemed that way. Unfortunately it didn’t last. I think we could be united again, but … As I look back to the beginning of this country, we were not united then in many ways. After watching the HBO series on John Adams, I’m amazed that we ever agreed on anything when I see the differences in the ideas of the founding fathers. But we did come together, we have survived, and thrived, more abundantly, more quickly, and in a way no other country has in the history of the world. It’s precious and we need to preserve what makes America who she is.
Thanks.
9/11 didn’t unite us, something similar won’t either. Anyway, what does that say about a country when it takes a disaster to get us to come together?
Our politicians are nowhere near the caliber of our nation’s founders. That is the difference. Immediate political gain is more important to them than crafting national strategy. The latter takes too much thought and negotiation, involves sacrifice, and offers no opportunity to bribe voters with goodies.
Thankfully, we the people of this nation can get on with our business in spite of our ineffectual government. The military in Iraq is a great example. We the people are what make this nation the success it is.
Debbie, do you really agree with this post?…that “We are all Americans, Americans all.”
To Foutsc, there are a few things to say: you raise the point of strategy. Very few people even understand the concept, let alone know how to set it. That’s a fact!
Our Founding Fathers were either extraordinarily brilliant in their vision, or extraordinarily lucky. However, American resilience is what makes us a unique Nation. As for unity, equality and brotherhood…we are as much a divided and polarized Nation today as we were in 1776 and 1856…we are divided today as we were in 1960 and 1964 and 1968. Face it, by the very nature of our mixture of people, we are a Nation divided by our differences, and yet, it is those differences that bind us to each other.
September 11th gave us a common event to circle around, and yet, the differences that existed on September 10th remained and they still exist today. So how do you explain the unity of America? It is simple. We all love our Freedom, even if we don’t love each other. Our Freedoms, even though many will never admit it, include the freedom to hate someone who is different or who has a different viewpoint. Is hate too strong a word? Maybe, maybe not. But in the last few days, because I outwardly questioned the state of the World on another “notable blog (not meaning yours Deb), I was accused on being unpartiotic, a Democrat, a liberal etc. Why? Because no matter what, it is a regrettable truth, that not all Americans were created equal when it comes to smarts, intelligence, and ability to think for themselves (they need someone else to tell them what to think). I need no such help. But, alas, that is what differentiates me from many, and what often causes me to be perceived as something that I am not.
“We are all Americans, Americans all.” That is a belief that must be demonstrated each and everyday. To all of my friends…and given what I’ve just written, most especially to my friend of Pakistani birth, and to my other friend who is of Palestinian heritage. We are, afterall, Americans all
Well of course I believe we are all Americans. Not all Americans are as aware of threats to us, not all Americans are as patriotic as others, not all Americans have the same views on many subjects, but we are all Americans. As I said, look at our beginnings and all the different views then.
HAPPY 4TH.
Happy 4th as well. You use the term “aware of the threat” to differentiate “us” from “them.” The use of the word “Patriotic” is a subjective term…am I un-Patriotic because I didn’t remount my flag on the front of my garage after the wind recently snapped it off? Of course not. Flying the flag is a symbol, but it is not a measure of a person’s Patriotism. However, my point was that my two Muslim friends are Americans entitled to the same liberties and freedoms afforded to the rest of us.
Additional thoughts: The comments, dialog and very posting of the article on your website, “War with Islam” says “au contraire.”