|
The fourth anniversary of 9-11 is fast
approaching and some of the significant meanings this date
in history has for me include the following:
The World Trade Center had been
sabotaged with a bomb in the early 1990??™s; Oklahoma City
suffered at the hands of homegrown terrorist, Timothy
McVeigh. But, not until the devastation and carnage that
occurred on 09-11-01 did I, and other Americans, realize
just how vulnerable we truly are.
As a nation that
had prided itself with being a source of endless
opportunities to better oneself and to provide the best one
could, for one??™s family, we Americans knew there were others
who resented our capitalist way of life, the manner in which
we chose our spiritual paths, and our social customs. There
are citizens of foreign governments that accuse us of being
morally derelict and traditionally impoverished.
At first, I felt stunned and numb that infamous
September morning. Then, as the days, weeks and months went
by, I got angry! I became, along with countless Americans,
determined not to let the enemy prevail, by reducing
us to a country of hopeless, helpless, and defeated
individuals, who were somehow supposed to be ashamed of who
we were.
I remember seemingly ordinary people,
be they actual victims of the attacks, rescuers, or
concerned parties, who just wanted to help, somehow, rising
above the tragedies and acting as shining examples of what
it really means to be an American. Call me a sentimental
fool, when I think of people who went into those burning
buildings, to help others escape and who lost their own
lives, in the process, I find myself swallowing hard, trying
to hold back tears of pride and yes, pain, at the ultimate
price so many paid.
New Yorkers, up to this point, had
earned the reputation of being a city full of people who,
???don??™t want to get involved???. When 9-11 happened, our
country, along with the rest of the world, sat up and took
notice of just how involved and heroic New Yorkers could be
and were! They banded together and refused to give up on
trying to find survivors, then, when enough time had passed,
they were determined to help recover the bodies of the dead,
in order to aid those victims??™ families and friends, in
their quest to gain personal ???closure???, if one ever can
arrive at such a treasured state of mind.
People, who were animal lovers, as am
I, had the foresight to realize that many of the victims,
who had perished on that day, might have pets, who wouldn??™t
otherwise be cared for, due to their master??™s death and they
volunteered to foster them.
I recall other volunteers getting together to feed and offer
extra clothing to the rescue workers, since so many refused
to cease their searching, first, in the hope they might find
survivors, needing to be transported to the hospitals that
could take the incoming injured, then, to locate the bodies
of the deceased.
I also remember seeing rescue workers on the news, looking
as though they had glimpsed into the very bowels of hell and
were at a complete loss for words, to describe each day??™s
and night??™s horrors. Yet, there was something else. New
York Governor George Pitaki and New York City Mayor, Rudy
Giuliani, rallied the citizens of New York to try their best
to ???carry on??? with the business of living and not allow the
terrorists to make them afraid to resume their everyday
lives.
I saw a TV ad that depicts a typical
neighborhood??™s front stoops, with the printed words,
???Terrorists think they??™ve changed America forever.??? Then,
we see that same photo of that very neighborhood, but this
time with American flags flown outside each and every front
door with the words, ???They were right.??? What a powerful
message! Then, one is reminded of a profoundly true
statement: ???All gave some. Some gave all.???
Now, I realize life will never be the same for people in
this country or for any of our allies, who stood
???shoulder-to-shoulder??? during some of our darkest days, but,
if nothing else, I??™ve come away with the knowledge that no
matter who hates us or is jealous of our freedom, these
freedoms are, in fact, worth fighting for and now is the
time for us to prove our unwavering loyalty to that flag and
what it truly stands for. I end here with the words, ???God
Bless America and all who love and serve her.???
Submitted and written by Annette M. Winter 2005 |
