September 11, Ten Years Ago
Posted: Wednesday, September 07, 2011
by John Waddey
firstcenturychristian
On September 11, 2001, I arose and started my daily routine of exercise, bathing and breakfast. With my office in my home, I sat down and began working at my computer. It was probably 7:30 when my wife called form her work place, with an agitated voice, she urged me to turn on the television. She had heard that the trade center tower had been bombed. She thought war had come to our nation. She had not yet heard that a passenger jet had been flown into the tower.
I saw the story unfolding in horried detail, not one but two, make that three planes have been crashed into key buildings. The missing fourth plane, where was it heading? I heard the talking heads of television floundering about trying to figure out why anyone would do such an senseless deed? When it became apparent that it was Muslim terrorists all were flummoxed. Isn’t Islam a religion of peace and love, they asked?
I had no such difficulty in understanding the motivation of the murderous hijackers. I had studied the teaching and history of Islam. I was well aware of its bloody past and the teachings that encouraged hatred, persecution and death against Christians, Jews and others who did not believe in their religion. The slaughter of innocent civilians was not a new chapter in the history of that system. The marvel was that few, if any, in government, media or academia understood the reasoning behind the attack.
With tearful eyes and a heavy heart, I prayed for those hapless souls who were trapped in that holocaust; those who in desperation jumped to their death. I prayed for the survivors, for the policemen and firemen trying to help them escape. I prayed that the attacks would not be extended. I prayed for our nation, especially for our president, vice-president and other key leaders who would likely be targeted.
For the rest of the day, my attention was fixed on the television, waiting for each new bit of information, hoping that the casualties would not be as great as first estimated.
My sense of patriotism, that love of country, was greatly stirred. I knew we were far from perfect, yet of all the nations in the history of humanity, none had equaled America in goodness, respect for other nations, compassion and support for those who were the victims of disasters such as war, earthquakes, etc. Some could not understand why anyone would want to inflict such devastation on our benevolent nation. I knew it was an act of pure evil. Even though it was driven by religious fanaticism, it no less evil. Nothing could justify it or lessen the guilt of the attackers.
When President Bush addressed the nation, my admiration for him as our leader rose. I appreciated and applauded his determination to hunt down and punish the wicked villains who had any part in this attack. What ever the price, we must be willing to pay it so that other terrorists will think twice before raising their hand against the USA.
When my sweet wife arrived home safely from work, we embraced and thanked God that we had been spared and asked his blessings on those who had suffered such devastating loss.
In the intervening ten years I have watched in amazement some fellow-Americans who have concluded it is better to apologize to the terrorists who have offered rationalization for their attack and implied that it was America’s fault that we had been attacked. As a little boy, the nation’s watchword was "Remember Pearl Harbor." My present watchword is "Remember 9/11."
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