Nine Years Later
Deborah Venable
09/11/10
When I was growing up, it was December 7 – “the day that would live in infamy” – the anniversary that Americans could not forget. Now, few American school children even know the significance of that date. I’ll leave that hanging for you to agree with or argue about.
Now,
the day of infamy is September 11. The
loss of life tally is very close on these two events. Both dates sparked wars for America – foreign wars, but an even
more devastating war on American soil.
That war is ongoing today, nine years after the event, which triggered
it – September 11, 2001.
It
is that war that I would focus on at this point in our history. To do so we must understand that this, more
than anything else, is a war of ideology. It isn’t a religious war.
It isn’t a war for empire. It
isn’t even a war for the hearts and minds of men and women. It is a war against the intimidation of the
human soul. It is our war on terror to
fight, above all, that intimidation of the very spark of life.
We
must understand that a “terrorized” people are malleable, yet
unpredictable. They can be fiercely
brave in the fight or cowed into little more than slavery to preserve whatever
is left of their peaceful existence.
Such is the lot of people all over the world who have succumbed to
ongoing terrorism. They do not live in
true freedom.
Any
religion that would inspire its believers to terrorize people who do not
believe its tenets is not a worthy religion at all. We were told that “radical” Islamists were responsible for the
events of September 11, 2001. An attack
on the “Great Satan” by adherents to an extreme and exclusionary religion that
has wreaked havoc all over the world for centuries – yet inspired by a religion
of peace? Immediately following the
attacks, Muslims all over the world, and indeed in this country, took to the
streets to rejoice in our sorrow. They
praised their Allah as we were still searching for survivors of that
devastating attack.
The
war of ideology had begun, but it wasn’t cut and dried, easy to determine
“sides” or agree on an enemy. Almost
immediately, while in the throes of being terrorized, American citizens began
to formulate conspiracy theories about the “real” enemy. The most nonsensical of these held that the
government had planned the attacks and carried them out deliberately to cause a
war against Muslims. It seemed to
matter not that such attacks had been carried out all over the world for
decades which carried the indelible fingerprints of Muslim “extremists” – nor
that the World Trade center had already been a target once before. These postulating, confused, and terrorized
people continue to this day to insist that their theories are sound.
Meanwhile,
the bulk of the thinking populace came together in mourning and vowed to fight
the terror and those who instigated it.
It lasted for a split second in human history. Then the infighting took over and we have not been united since.
We
have dwarfed the civilian losses of that day with the blood of our brave young
military men and women who answered the call to the official war on terror and
still it goes on. Sanctimonious
citizens and so-called leaders alike have forgotten what the real fight is all
about. They flounder in the foreign
wars while our brightest and best keep sacrificing life and limb – and most
shamefully, many times their own liberty and honor when they are accused
unjustly. The leaders, both military
and political, pussyfoot around the real issues and weave the tangled web of deceit
on the American people and those they send in to fight. They cannot or will not even try to define
victory any more.
The
Muslim world of “Islamic extremists” has grown by leaps and bounds. The terror continues. The very subject of religion has been put on
trial time and again right here in America – all to appease the enemy. Nine years later, the ideological war is in
full swing right here on American soil.
The concept of American freedom of religion has been bastardized to the
extreme. It has been held out willingly
to one religion and snatched away from another. That is a fact. Political
correctness and faux tolerance rule the day in the arena of “freely” expressed
ideas. Historical heritage of Christian
influence in the formation of our country and its laws must bow down to this
so-called “religion of peace.” It is
“right” to build mosques in sacred places and encourage the influx of Muslim
influence into every institution of America, but it is “wrong” and “intolerant”
to wear or display crosses or even mention “Jesus Christ” in speeches on
college campuses.
Nice.
It
is an expression of American freedom to burn American flags and Christian
Bibles, but it is blasphemy to even threaten to burn the Muslim Koran. If you disagree with both things, you are
only half right in today’s ideological war.
Deception and stupidity rule nine years later as the day of infamy lives
on.
It is far past the time to choose sides in this war. We are fighting terror, and anyone who
promotes it is on the wrong side.
Anyone who defends it is on the wrong side. Anyone who confuses it is on the wrong side. Anyone who uses it is on the wrong
side. Anyone who willingly remains
terrorized is on the wrong side. You
are simply evil in your intent or ignorant in your slavery.