On Monday we were talking about heroes as being athletes
On Tuesday we relearned who our heroes are
On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived
On Tuesday we gave money away to people we had never met
On Monday there were people fighting against praying in schools
On Tuesday you would have been hard pressed to find a school where someone was not praying
On Monday people argued with their kids about picking up their room
On Tuesday the same people could not get home fast enough to hug their kids
On Monday people were upset that they had to wait 6 minutes in a fast food drive through line
On Tuesday people didn't care about waiting up to 6 hours to give blood for the dying
On Monday we waved our flags signifying our cultural diversity
On Tuesday we waved only the American flag
On Monday there were people trying to separate each other by race, sex, color and creed
On Tuesday they were all holding hands
On Monday we were men or women, black or white, old or young, rich or poor, gay or straight, Christian or non-Christian.
On Tuesday we were Americans
On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses
On Tuesday grief stricken they sang 'God Bless America'
On Monday the President was going to Florida to read to children
On Tuesday he returned to Washington to protect our children
On Monday we had families
On Tuesday we had orphans
On Monday people went to work as usual
On Tuesday they died
On Monday people were fighting the 10 commandments on government property
On Tuesday the same people all said "God help us all' while thinking "Thou shall not kill"
It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this week, the things we have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or overlooked,hopefully will never be forgotten again.
~ submitted by: Ginny Schroeder
Pennsylvania
I am just one of America's disillusioned youth. I have spent many safe nights blanketed by the freedom that generations before me died to provide. For many days, months and years I have forgotten that truth....but I woke up on Tuesday, September 11th, cold and shaking because my blanket was gone.
For those of us in our early twenties, patriotism was slowly erased by ignoring the Pledge of Allegiance in homeroom and by mixing a drink during the Star Spangled Banner at a college football game. The only war of our lifetime was lost on us by distant images of a bombed Baghdad. Our only "real" memories of war cost 6 bucks and are served up cafeteria-style at the local movie theater. We think Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer are heroic fighter pilots and never think to ask our Dads about their tours in Vietnam. The next week we applaud Tom Hanks when he kills fake Germans and forget that our grandpas killed real ones.
But on a random September Tuesday in the dawn of a new century, America's disillusioned youth finally woke up. We were awakened by fire and smoke, burning buildings and more frightening, burning people. War and destruction came in through our television sets and sat down in the Lazy Boys of our collective living rooms. And the youth of this country found out what it feels like to be an American.
Suddenly, you feel pride rush to your cheeks as a New York fireman pulls out another survivor from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, you well-up with emotion when you hear that the passengers of United Flight 93 sacrificed themselves in the air over rural Pennsylvania so more lives wouldn't be lost, and you cry when you see the American flags displayed outside every house on your block.
I guess I always knew that I would fight to the death for my family and friends, but the love of a country comes when you feel millions of people come together ready to defend their home. America, your youngest able-bodied generation just woke up.
Sorry it took us so long.
~ Stephanie Davis
Georgia
Thoughts & Expressions
Sociologist At Large
This page is reserved for posting thoughts and expressions about the tragedy of September 11, 2001 that I have received. I will be also be posting any thoughts of the upcoming tragic "response" that it is inevitable.
...allow me to give my sympathy to New Yorkers who in one way or another have been affected by the terrorist attack in WTC. Was so shocked when I heard the news in CNN. The terrorist use the innocent civilians for their evil deeds.........Despite what had happen I still believe that vengenge is the Lord's decision and time. I pray that justice will befall the perpetrators.
~Susanna
Phillipines
That day still seems like a dream.....I am scared for what will come.....We are going to be living in a completely different world now.
It was my 21st birthday that day and I could not even think about myself at that time. My heart goes out to all and I pray that we will be able to continue living free from war, although I don't believe that is possible.
Thoughts crash into my head creating a demolition derby of the soul~ I am AIM, I am Baby Boomer, I am a Patriot, I am a Woman of Peace~ trying to reconcile these thoughts through prayer~ Wanting good, expecting evil~ striving to sort my thoughts into words~ these are the only ones I hear, May God have Mercy~
