September 12, 2006
What if it never happened?
What would the world be like if September 11th, 2001 never happened? How would America look today? How would our political landscape be different? We know that the physical skyline of New York would feel less empty. We know that 3,000 people would have lived more life and impacted this world in incalculable ways. What issues would have shaped President Bush’s 1st term and would he have had a second? How would the changes in your life, in your heart, in your view of the world be reversed from their present course?
The sad fact of the matter is that we don’t have the luxury of erasing that day. We can’t bring back loved ones; we can’t change the course of history that we have been set upon. And we can’t lay the blame for the horrific acts of terrorism that occurred that morning at the feet of anyone except those who planed, carried out and financed the attack on our soil. They are our enemy and others with the same ideology of hate and death.
The President reminded us of this ideology as he spoke last night, “Since the horror of 9/11, we've learned a great deal about the enemy. We have learned that they are evil and kill without mercy -- but not without purpose…The war against this enemy is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century, and the calling of our generation.” The question for the American people is whether or not we will answer that call. Are we willing to see, “liberty triumph with sacrifice and determination”?
Our government, our President, our policies, our war on terror, our battlefront in Iraq is not what creates terrorists or terrorism. We are shining the light into the darkness of that world. “[O]n a bright September morning, it became clear that the calm we saw in the Middle East was only a mirage. Years of pursuing stability to promote peace had left us with neither. So we changed our policies, and committed America's influence in the world to advancing freedom and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and radicalism.” Our victories there not only create a future for those in that region, but also secure a peace for our own society’s advancement.
Criticizing the administration for their execution of the war on terror is one thing. Believing that Iraq is not a central front or that the President mislead the country into a war is to ignore the very words, actions and history of “a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance, and despises all dissent.” A call to set aside differences and unite in purpose is not an attempt to suppress democracy in the US nor is it a subversive attempt at totalitarianism at home. It is a plea to answer the calling of our generation and a reminder of what we continue to fight for and hold dear.
President Bush concluded his speech last night with these comments, “The attacks were meant to bring us to our knees, and they did, but not in the way the terrorists intended. Americans united in prayer, came to the aid of neighbors in need, and resolved that our enemies would not have the last word. The spirit of our people is the source of America's strength. And we go forward with trust in that spirit, confidence in our purpose, and faith in a loving God who made us to be free.”
So what if it never happened? What if we never had the opportunity to show the world what it means to be united in purpose? What if we never had the opportunity to extend the boundaries of the free democratic world to the Middle East? What if we never stood up and fought against evil in the world? What if we never got down on our knees and prayed for peace in the face of hatred? What if?
