9/11 – Eight Years Later

I’ll always remember the stillness of that morning. The perfectly clear blue sky. The bright summer sun. The warmth on my face as I sat in that bus on my way to work. Then, there it was. Fire, smoke and an explosion ripping the serene morning to shreds and changing us all forever.

In contrast, each passing anniversary has had some sort of meteorological turmoil. For the first few years it was gusting winds. Occasionally it was rain. This year, both.

As in years past, I am certain that these are the souls of our departed friends and family begging us to never forget.

Besides being pleas, they are also expressions of anger in the way our nation has been acting that grow stronger each year. America has not only back on our old ways of hatred and fear, prejudice and ignorance in lieu of trying to help or improve, we’ve taken them to new lows.

Fanatics on both the right and the left are spitting out offensive words at one another for reasons they themselves cannot even truly explain. Outbursts of Nazi this and Hitler being tossed in the faces of our own leaders.

What is wrong with everyone?

Did we forget how fragile life is? Did we forget how easily this could all go away? Did we forget that the world is changing?

What has happened to us?

In the days that followed 9/11 we drew together. To hell with color and creed, race and class. Our goal, our mission was to mend. Then, at some point, it all went horribly, horribly wrong.

We declared war on the wrong people (not that war is ever the answer). We went back to judging others by their ethnic makeup, the odd sound of their name or the clothes they wear. And eight years later, it’s only getting worse.

As the rain fell this morning, my girlfriend sent me a text, “God is crying on 9/11.”

I replied, “He wants us to remember.”

If there is a God, I believe he also wants us to stop this ridiculous infighting that has been tearing our country apart in recent months. Stop yelling at each other and start talking to each other.

Stop aimlessly spewing hatred and think before you speak. After what we went thru on 9/11, the idea of bringing up a global human tragedy as a way to further a political agenda is sickening.

Stop it!