Posted by Tina
As I thought about what I might do to commemorate this special day I came across an article…a letter really…from David French who is serving our country in Iraq. I hope you will read, Why Not Join the Fight:
It is now seven years since the towers fell. Seven years since Congress sang God Bless America on the Capitol steps. Seven years since our grief turned to rage, and a tidal wave of patriotism swept the land.
But things are different now. September 11 marked the first day of a long war fought on two primary fronts. Were all too aware that the nation is and has been bitterly divided about Iraq. While we are far more united about Afghanistan, partisan fingers point over perceived losses to the Taliban and over our failure to find Osama bin Laden. There may be an end in sight in Iraq, but in Afghanistan? The long war promises to get longer and more intense. *** What does all this mean? I think it means that there has never been a better time for a patriotic citizen to join the fight. *** After spending almost a year in Iraq, I perceive two central and competing truths about this war: First, because our enemy is more evil than I imagined, losing is simply not an option. Second, the strain of multiple deployments is very real, and any given individual can only give so much before the hardship is simply too great. *** And so, we face a dilemma. As we confront an enemy who will shoot infants in the face to send a message, individuals who would be happy to slice your head off on videotape and who are full of the most racist, extreme, and depraved hatred, we rely on the same people to come back and fight again . . . and again . . . and again.
David French describes very simply and profoundly the reality that September Eleventh brought to our lives. The evil deeds that necessitate a firm stance and a bold defense is something that causes dread in our hearts. War is ugly. Sustaining the fight is difficult. The unpleasant reality, one we would never wish on anyone…not even our enemies, is that we have no choice. We cannot run from our discomfort about what must be done. We cannot hide from those who wish us extreme harm. David French ends by saying this:
If, by Gods grace, I arrive home safe and sound, I know that I will see my year in Iraq as perhaps the most important, most meaningful, year of my life. And if like so many others I have to go back, you can be sure I wont be happy about it, but Ill go. Because somebody has to. *** How can you honor the memory of those who fell on September 11? Help make sure it never happens again.
Out thanks and deep gratitude to those who answer the call.
A reminder that this is a long war to be fought in many ways on many fronts…
September 11 in History, September 11 News.com
The world was introduced to terrorism at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. These games ended on September 11, 1972. There were 121 participating countries (11X11=121), and 11 Israeli athletes were killed. Exactly 29 years (2+9=11) after this terrorist horror ended, another more despicable horror occurred – the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.