I was at the 24HourFitness. I was on my way to work on reducing my considerable paunch after running on the treadmill when I passed by a TV showing one of the WTC towers burning. I remember thinking, "How do you accidentally hit the World Trade Center on such a clear morning?" In moments, a plane appeared in the screen... a multi-engine plane... which made a slight correction and flew into the second tower. I said to the attendant, "We're under attack.
"Thirteen months later I lurched past the Pentagon during the Marine Corps Marathon, and I noted the mobile anti-aircraft positions and the repairs on the building. To be honest, I was a lot more conscious of the recent capture of the DC sniper(s) than I was of the possibility of another attack by al Qaeda.
FDR, in his first inaugural address, said "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." My theory has always been that terrorists don't expect to "win" in the sense that they'll be eating in the White House anytime soon, but they hope to disrupt the status quo... our way of life... make us think twice... make us look over our shoulders.
We've surrendered a lot of what it meant to be American over the past five years on the possibility that a handful of international terrorists might strike at us again. How'd they do? How're we doing?
1 comment:
I think you are right. There is little possibility that they will strike again, and our leaders have taken a lot of our freedom, indebted our grandchildren, killed many of our young men and women, and invaded another country, killing uncounted thousands of its people, using 9/11 as an excuse.
Post a Comment