On the night before the attack, I had gone to finally see American pie II with my friend Beth. It was late when the movie let out, so she crashed at my place. She woke up before me and turned on the tv, she then woke me up to tell me that something terreble had happened. I wathced for a while trying to figure out what had happened as all I could get out of the news media was the sensational "America Attacked" at the bottom of the screen. All I could think of was "Holy $hit. It's Red Dawn, except this time it was the Chinese or something that had invaded the US." After I found out what had really happened, I went to campus and it was so errie. No one was talking and it was so quiet. The last time I had seen our campus that way was April 1995, after the OKC bombing. Something I foolishly thought I'd never have to experience again.
It was really wierd thinking that I was in the WTC in May. I was at the mall underneath 2 times and the PATH station to jersey 2 times as well. I'll never forget, we had been in brooklyn and took the R subway bac to the WTC to catch the 1&9 train to the village. There is no direct connection, so you have to walk out of one station, go a block or two and then go into the WTC to catch the 1/9 train. I paused for a moment on the plaza surrounding the WTC and did the tourist thing, looking up at the towers and taking it all in. It is the most surreal thing to think that that exact spot I stood, gazing at those towers is now the place the media keeps showing the rescue crews at work. Surreal.
i havent let the attacks get me down, and I only cried once. Not at the realization of the attack, but I think after 27 years I finally understood what it means to be an American. The firefighters and policemen who died trying to save the victums werent heroes. They were brave AMERICANS, who died doing their job - what the loved. If we could ask them now, I bet none of them would be comfortable with the designation of HERO. I am not saying what they did wasnt heroic, but I finally figured out that ALL OF US ARE HEROS, because we are americans and we have come together and will survive this tragedy. There's HEROS in all of us, weither its making your kid feel special after a rough day at school, adopting a pet from the pound, recycling, donating blood, working at a homeless shelter or whathaveyou. WE ARE ALL HEROS. WE ARE AMERICANS. If and when we are pushed, all of us have the capacity to be heroes. And to me I finally got it. thats what America is. Its not a place on a map, or a constitution. Its a belief ststem, and can never be destroyed. Unfortunately, since none of us are really from here, we have no sense of national identity. But its good to see the country uniting. The stupid partisan battles ofver tax relief and budget surpluses seem so distant now. We are focused. i think the most poignant thing I heard was from an email I recieved shortly after the attack. Two things I rember were 1, quoting Admiral Yamamotto (SP) after the message warning the US to end its blockade of Petrolium to the japenese Islands wasnt delivered until after the pearl Harbor attack, "I fear we have woken a giant sleeping dragon. We have sown the seeds of our own destruction." So true, bin Laden. Also #2. You really dont want to screw with America, think about it. We are the only country in the history of the world to use nuclear weapons out of anger, not once, but twice. We are not to be messed with.
I do think we need to reevaluate our foriegn policy objectives in this post-cold war era, and that should come in time, but we gotta take care of Business now. WITH OR WITHOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD. As is ALWAYS the case, the rest of the world will come around when they need cash, or need someone to broker a peace, or need protection. I understand the presidents desire to build a coalition, but to hell with the rest of the world. I could care less what french say, or guatamalians, or Chinese for that matter. like alwas is the case, other countries are gonna bitch (over their mcDonalds lunch none the less), have a rally in the streets denouncing the us (in their Nike's and Levis) and the curse the "evil decidant americans" on their way home to watch Baywatch re-runs. Ya dont like our foriegn policy? Quit buying all our $HIT. It sticks in my crawl to see people bitching about us while consuming voraciously the goods we produce. Its time to carry a big stick again. IMHO.
<lifesaver steps off his patriotic soapbox to rallies and cheers of USA, USA, USA!>
(lifesaver is sick now, and as is the case with all males of our species, is cranky and irritable wile ill)
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