Remembrances
The
poor and wealthy, the young and old, the powerful and pitiful will
gather, contemplate and reflect on the tragedy and aftermath of the
events of 9/11.
Our
happy and productive nation received a shot to the gut. People watched in disbelief at what had happened in New York. One
of the World Trade Towers had been struck by a jet.
Then,
the second tower was hit by a second jet.
Drama
was also playing out over Pennsylvania as brave passengers foiled an
attempt to assault another American icon with a third jet.
This
attack had been months in planning and was perfect in execution.
Osama bin Laden was behind the assault and he has paid for this
criminal act with his life.
The
goal of the attacks was to create terror in the United States. It did
reveal our weaknesses – but instead of terror it created a determined counter-terror culture that will never rest.
Revenge
has not brought back the professionals, loved ones and precious
people that lost their lives and livelihood due to the attack.
But
revenge is being meted out and will be executed whenever a plot for
another attack is discovered.
We
applied our energies and technologies to the problems, our best and brightest are
an army of volunteers fighting a war that is keeping the conflict a
half a world away.
We
mourn and honor the loss of our soldiers – but there is a lesson …
terror has lost; resolve has won.
There
may be attacks on the US in the future. We even have homegrown idiots
that engage in destructive plots.
The
US will continue to deliberately and effiently play deadly
“Whack-A-Mole” with any fresh crop of insurgents.
With
the same reverence that we have for the Concord Bridge, Gettysburg,
the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge, Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima and
every foot of land in which American and allied troops have fought
and died – we honor the victims, the heroes and the nation that has
lived a decade past 9/11.
Monuments
in concrete and steel, glass and light and water will remind us that
an ordinary day may turn into a world-altering event. It will also
remind us that this nation is great, strong, sweet and dedicated to
the idea that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are things
that evildoers cannot destroy.
There
is a prayer, deep resolve and devotion to this land in every American
heart.
Future
generations may ask what any or all of these monuments mean – and a
voice will rise to remind them of just who we are and the rich
heritage they have received.
©
tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com
