Remembering 9-11

The following is an column I wrote for the Snow College newspaper (it was the third anniversary of 9-11, so this talks about it being three years ago). It's as pertinent today as it was then, perhaps even more, so I'm posting it here (in italics):

Here’s a little memory game for you to play: can you remember where you were on May 2, 1993? December 16, 1990? June 29, 2000?

How about September 11, 2001?

I can remember exactly where I was when I heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center. I was going to my biology class and I was a little stressed because we were supposed to have a test that day. When I walked in, I could tell that the test would be canceled. The TV in the room had on CBS with live video on the first tower. We watched the planes hit the second tower and the Pentagon. Then we heard about the plane that had crashed in Pennsylvania. No one knew what to think or what to say.

I could go through every detail of my day that day, but I have a limited amount of space to make my point. One morning changed everyone in the entire world. Americans were brought face to face with the kind of fear that we had only seen in far countries on the evening news. Up until then, most Americans thought, “Well too bad for those people, but it really doesn’t affect me.” Up until then, “The Star Spangled Banner” was just a formality before ball games.

In the weeks that followed, America remembered why it is the greatest country in the world. We put aside all our racial, political, cultural differences and stood together behind the firefighters, police officers, military, and government officials who were making decisions to keep us from harm. We started standing and belting out the national anthem every chance we got. People stood in line to give blood since it was the only thing that they felt they could do to be useful.

This Saturday marks the third anniversary of the day that put “terrorism”, “Homeland Security”, and “Nine-Eleven” in everyone’s vocabulary. I’d like to say that we’re still as patriotic and firm as we were back then, but I can’t. We’re back to blaming each other and fighting amongst each other instead of fighting against the real enemies. We’ve started to forget.

Of course we want to get on with our lives. I can’t think of one American who doesn’t wish that September 11 hadn’t happened and that this Saturday could just be an average Saturday to sleep in or go home for the weekend. But the truth is that the attacks on America happened. Whether or not is has made America better is to be determined, but one thing is certain: we do need to go on with life, but never forget what happened. The calendar will continue to turn to September 11 each year and world events won’t let us forget how our lives have changed, but we should never let our hearts forget how shocked and confused and angry we felt at seeing those buildings go down. History has a funny way of repeating itself when we forget in our hearts what history was trying to tell us.

When the rockets’ red glare gave proof that the flag was still there back in the War of 1812, it was a symbol for Frances Scott Key that America would always prevail, no matter what adversity had in store. The people of this great nation have to stand firm to make sure this nation continues to stand firm.

Today's the ninth anniversary of the worst attack on America. It's kind of hard to "celebrate" something like this.  However, I want to take a moment out of my football-watching and weekending to pause and think of the people who died and people who risked their lives to save others (and the people who continue to risk their lives to keep our rights intact).  They deserve to be thought of even in the midst of our busy frantic lives.

Y'know, I like to fangirl and geek out over fictional heroes (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, 24, Heroes, Doctor Who, various anime, etc.), but the firemen, police officers, passengers on United 93, anyone who helped others get to safety on 9-11 and, of course, the troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are the real heroes.  I think the reason these kinds of fictional stories ring true now is because of the times we are living in.  We can relate to the stories of heroes and sacrifice because we are witnessing it every day.  Human beings naturally gravitate toward heroes in real life and fiction because they inspire greatness - they represent a chance that the world is still inherently good, despite all evidence to the contrary.  I like to look on the positive side of things and September 11 is no different.  If nothing else, September 11 gave us heroes to look up to.

(Hm, terrorists want us to despair and fear, but really, they set events in motion that give us reason to hope.  ^_^)

If you want an uplifting activity to commemorate this day, read all the verses of "The Star-Spangled Banner".  It's really interesting that most countries have national anthems that talk about how beautiful their country is and that it's their home and they'll be loyal to it - which we have patriotic songs that say the same thing.  But our national anthem is about how we sometimes go through hard times and challenges, but we - like the flag in the song - will come out of the smoke and the rubble.  Maybe we come out with a few scars and a huge black eye, but we're still standing and we're going to rebuild what we lost and stand up to those who want to do us harm.  I like that we're that unique.

And here are a few more icons to commemorate the day (these and the ones at the beginning are all by kc_anathema.)

 

September 11 - It may not be a "happy" holiday, but remember it. Just remember.

"Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."
- "The Star-Spangled Banner" 4th verse

(This post was adapted from a post I wrote on 9-11 in 2007)

So This is How Liberty Dies - With Thunderous Applause

(x-posted from my LiveJournal)

I've been on edge all day with this health care voting nonsense that's been going on in the House. I'm not going to say too much about it here (if I'd come here directly from watching it, there would have been much foul language and venom spewing. As it is, I spent some time at therightfangirl and that calmed my nerves a bit. I'm glad there are places in this universe that still make sense).

I have thought long and hard why I oppose this bill on substance. And here are a few my reasons:

1. I don't want the government telling me and my family what to do. My parents are self-employed and we have purchased our own health insurance my entire life. Only recently have we had to drop it because times are tough, but it was a risk we chose to take. We're all pretty healthy anyway and we'd rather take the chance on getting hit by a bus (or whatever craptastic sob-story the creatures in Washington are peddled to get this BS through) than go without food and clothing. But now that Princess Pelosi got her way, you could get fined for not having health insurance. What the crap? Since when does not having health insurance hurt somebody else? It's my damn money - let me do with it as I please!

2. It grows government. I'm not one of those anarchist nuts that says we should totally abolish the national government, but I am in favor of states' rights and, more importantly, individual rights. All I want the government to do is keep us safe from evil people who want to kill us. I don't want them to provide a blasted thing for me. They are not my parents (shoot, I'm old enough, I should be providing for myself). I just want them to stay the hell out of my life. Up until a few years ago, I had a very live-and-let-live attitude toward government. But when I started noticing all these creepy little things they've been doing, I'd had it and I got mad. Oh boy - you have not seen anything yet. With this health care beast passing - they are soooo in for it!

3. The few that would be insured under this is not worth the many that are going to lose their already-excellent health care plans. There are other better avenues to health insurance reform than the government regulating everything under the sun - starting with taking the trial lawyers to task for their ambulance-chasing and other shenanigans. It's called Tort Reform. Love it. Embrace it. And let insurance companies compete between states. The bad insurance companies will fail (as they should) and the good ones will flourish and provide amazing-yet-affordable health care plans. That's how capitalism REALLY works (and I know that those of you educated in public schools have been taught differently, but don't believe everything you learn in school).

4. Health care is not a right. Home ownership is not a right. Employment is not a right. Formal education is not a right (hell, Abraham Lincoln was basically homeschooled). Communist Russia tried all that. It was great at first (well, "great" - depending on who you ask), but by the end of the Soviet Union, they were pretty much holding guns to people's heads to get them to fall in line. Yep - that communism - sounds great. Where do I sign up? *end sarcasm* The rights afforded us by the Constitution are merely avenues for us to pursue happiness - they are not the ends to happiness themselves. And really, the Constitution itself doesn't actually afford us anything - those rights in the Constitution are God-given rights. But the Founders had enough foresight (or they themselves had just come out from under a bastard dictator scumbag - take your pick) to know that some dipwad would come along and try to take over unless there was something set down in stone (parchment - whatever) to stop them. And - wow - look what's happened? The government has come to the point where it assumes that it is God.

That's what it boils down to - government wants we the people to bow down to it as our deity. The politicians don't give a flaming turtle butt over health care or if people have insurance - it's all about power (there are some good congresspeople in Washington, but they are becoming increasingly rare). That's what it's been about through history - who has the power and who is going to exploit it? Until America came along and said - "No, the power goes to the little guy," it's how Rome and the Middle East and all of Europe and China ran themselves - they set up one all powerful leader and erased any kind of Higher Power - and look how that's going for them now (and how it will be going for us soon if we aren't careful).

Guess what? I have a God - and it ain't the United States Congress and it sure as hell ain't the President. And my God's power isn't going to run out at the end of a 4-year or a 6-year term. In fact, God gave these leaders their power and He's looking to see how they're going to handle it. And He gave me my power and He's looking to see how I'm handling it. Honestly, I have no control over how those individual politicians conduct themselves or the choices they make. I do have control over what I do (contrary to what Dr. Utopia, Princess Pelosi and Dingy Harry want to accomplish) and I hope I do my Heavenly Father proud (or "well-pleased," if you prefer).

I have little faith in government and, after today, I feel justified in that respect. The American people yelled out loud and clear that we don't want this mess, but they went ahead and did it anyway. In case you missed it in your 1st Grade Civics class, that's not how this works. The elected officials represent the people - not talk down to us like we're a bunch of two-year-olds. Would you talk to your boss that way? We voters are these politicians' boss - and they'd better remember that this November.

Oh, and if you want something to pick you up, go watch "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson (I DVR'd it edited). I was watching it earlier today and watching that depiction of the Revolutionary War motivated me. The lengths that people went to be out from under tyranny (and the British were tyrants - don't let the watered-down version of history fool you) were astounding and I think it's foolish to presume that we have to give anything less. Our country is falling apart - but it can be saved if we act in time. One of my mission companions said "Don't just die for the gospel - live for it." I want to apply it here - Don't just die for your country - live for it.

And friends, the time to live for it is now. Here's a place to start. And there are others. Write or call your representatives and chew their butts out (in a nice, dignified way, of course). Educate yourself. Start with history - try this book out. If you can't afford it, get it from your library. If your library doesn't have it, get it through Inter-Library Loan, which all libraries have (I'm a Library Science major - I know these things). Donate your time and money to worthy campaigns. Go to rallies. Ways to help aren't hard to find if you care to look (half the time, you don't even have to try to look). Get involved. Now.

I didn't intend this to be a call to action, but it ended up being that. And it's your choice what you do now. But I've said my peace and I'll leave it at that.