September 11 Remembered
Rory has a
fitting tribute for the one year anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
As for myself, there are so many things I’d like to say, so many things going through my mind. I woke up this morning 20 minutes early so that I could observe a moment of silence with the rest of the country at the time the first plane hit. As I began to get ready for work, I was reminded of that morning one year ago. I woke up at 6 am to get ready for school. After dragging myself tiredly out of bed I headed for the bathroom. Moments later I heard a knock on the door and my dad shouting something about a plane flying into the World Trade Center. Opening the door I looked at him oddly, wondering if he wasn't pulling my leg. I followed him into his bedroom where my mother sat on the bed watching quietly at the burning tower in the distance.
After that moment it was hard to peel my eyes from the television. My mother and I watched as the second plane hit (I remember I had gone back into my room to get ready for school and had been watching the television as a low flying plane headed towards the towers. I screamed out to my mother in the other room that there was another plane, and seconds later it hit.) It was then that I knew something was wrong. The first plane, I thought, could have been a horrible accident. But two planes were no accident. I knew we were under attack.
I watched as news of the attack on the Pentagon was announced, as the first and then the second tower collapsed, as reports of flight 93 came in. And then I headed off to school. The entire ride on BART was filled with a different kind of silence. It wasn’t unusual for the passengers on BART to keep quietly to themselves. But there was a heavy silence that seemed to flow through the train like. It was liquid and thick, and I swam through it in my own silence throughout the entire ride.
At school I hoped to find some comfort through those around me. I hoped to hear that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. But when I got out there I got exactly what I should have been expecting. People making nasty comments about how “we got what we deserved,” “it serves us right” and “now we’re getting a taste of our own medicine.” Such hatred and spite. But I was the fool for thinking that Berkeley would understand that not only had New York and Washington been attacked, but so had they. Their country, their families and friends, their freedoms, dreams, rights, and way of life had been attacked as well.
I wish I had stayed home that day. From the nasty comments from classmates, to the complete ignorance and dismissal of the morning’s tragedies by a professor (she came into class, dropped her stuff on the table, and said something to the extent of “I heard there’s something going on over on the east coast. Something about a plane crash. Whatever. It doesn’t matter,” and immediately began lecturing. I don’t know how I managed to sit through that class without standing up and explaining to her how horrible and insensitive her comment was) being in Berkeley only rubbed salt into the wound.
Since that day we’ve learned a lot about the events. We know who did it, and we know why. What I still fail to comprehend is how so many people (particularly here in the Bay Area) believe that we should not fight back, and we should not rid the world of the scum that wish to destroy it. Al Qaida and the other Islamo-fascists are no better than the Nazi’s who attempted to rid the world of all people, including Jews, gays, the Gypsies, that did not fit into their “blonde-hair blue-eyed” picture of the ideal world. The Muslim extremists who are hell-bent on destroying the US will not stop there. They are racist religious fanatics who believe that the world is meant only for them. They act through their own hegemonic thoughts and processes. The US is their biggest threat because we represent everything they despise: women’s rights, gays, freedom, liberty, multi-ethnic society, freedom to practice any religion, and the list goes on. They hate the things many people in Berkeley have fought so vehemently for, yet the people in Berkeley continue to defend the terrorists. They continue to say that we should not fight back, we should not do what it takes to defend not only ourselves, but the world. This fight is not about just the US. It’s about every country, every culture, every religion, and every life that does not meet their idea of what the world should be. Once the US is gone, it will be a field day for Al Qaida and the other Islamic fundamentalists. They will tear through the rest of the world so quickly and easily that the world as we know it will fail to exist. It will be one world of only one people. Forget tolerance and diversity. It will all be dead.
The terrorists have chosen to wage war on us, and we cannot, and must not choose to take it lying down. We must stand up and fight for everything we have, and fight for the rest of the world. This war isn’t just about us. It’s a war against the entire Western civilization. It’s a war against diversity, freedom, and nearly the entire world. To wage this war with “peace” would lead us to now victory. The terrorists do not want peace. There is no reasoning, negotiating, bargaining, or even talking with them. They've shown through their actions and words that they have no interest in mediation, discussions, compromises, or fairness. They have left us with the option to fight back or die. Pacifism will only lead us to certain death and destruction. If we fight, we will win. If we do not, we will suffer countless more acts of terrorism and death. If we do not, our inaction will kill us all. Gone shall be our freedom to believe (or not believe) in any God or faith we choose; the many great cultures and societies that share this world with us; the history and legacies of the world; the ability to live our lives as who we are and how we choose; the struggles of many before us to secure rights for women, minorities, gays, children, for everyone; the wealth of knowledge and education both in this country and throughout the world; and political and personal freedom.
There is a time for war, and a time for peace. And unfortunately now is not the time for peace. On this day I hope that people are reminded of what we are fighting for. We should remember that a love for our country should not be displayed only on a few select days per year, but every day. And we should also remember that we are not invincible. I knew of Osama bin Laden well before he was a household name. I knew there were groups that hated the US and wanted more than anything to see it fall. I knew that war was not far off. But when I told people in the past that someday we would see war on our own land, that our own home would be attacked by people who hate us with every fiber of their being they told me I was being crazy, paranoid, and that I subscribed to one too many conspiracy theory. I hope this is a wakeup call to everyone that we are not entirely safe and protected in a happy little bubble called America. To all the people who told me that the US could never fall, that an attack was highly unlikely on our own soil, that our number one enemy Osama bin Laden was probably just some joke of a person who was relatively powerless to hurt us, I have to say “I told you so.” I knew September 11 would come, and it did. You told me it wouldn’t, and it did. Let this be a lesson in your own ignorance.
Let us not allow those who died on September 11 to have died in vain. Preserve their memories, this country, and the world by supporting necessary action and defense. This is war. It is not pretty, and it is not fun, but it is most definitely necessary.
