For those of you who don't know me (or even don't know me that well), I lived in Washington D.C. on 9-11. I had only lived there about 9 months, didn't know many people, and was still adjusting to the new city. After 9-11, I wrote a lil' essay and sent it in to my local paper back in Iowa and it was published as a letter to the editor. I had totally forgotten about the essay until I just came across it and thought it was interesting to look at how I was thinking then and how I think differently now. Here 'tis.
God Bless America. Let freedom ring. God Shed His Grace on Thee. Remember the good ole days when we were arguing about Social Security lockboxes, energy crises, and school vouchers? Thanks to September 11, 2001, those days are over... and they will not be returning any time soon. Instead, our collective focus has zeroed in on issues like air marshals, airport defense, and homeland security. We live in the greatest country in the world... but why did it take a completely unthinkable and horrific tragedy to make us realize it?
Living in Washington D.C. has given me an interesting perspective on what it means to be an American. I see the quintessential symbols of the American Republic on a regular basis: the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument and what is left of the Pentagon. A few weeks ago, I looked at them with a certain sense of indifference- indifference not stemming from the frequency of my visits but from complacency, a false sense of security. However, since September 11, 2001, I have driven past the State Department with hundreds of armed guards. I have seen the F-16s patrolling the National Mall and I have seen the military police on every street corner.
The word safety has a new meaning in the United States. Before September 11th, the vast majority of Americans would have expressed their belief they were completely safe. However, we have come to find that safety is a relative term. Safety now means armed guards at airports and high suspicion of unknown people and packages. The Capitol building has been “blast-proofed,” the Vice President is in a secure and undisclosed location and a two-block perimeter has been set around the White House. Anyone who believes they are safe simply because they are American has been proved very wrong.
Dwindling patriotism has been an increasing trend in the United States for far too long. We all SAY we love America, freedom, liberty, etc. How many of us know why? I will be the first to agree that we live in the best country on the face of the earth. However, as domestic public policy scholar Diane Ravitch said, “The person who knows ‘how’ will always have a job. The person who knows ‘why’ will always be his boss.” We have, as a country, forgotten why we are the best. Hopefully, the recent events have made us realize there is more to being American than can be expressed through simple rhetoric and argument. Our lives have become comfortable enough to be complacent in our thinking and actions. Only half of us vote in Presidential elections and in a good year, approximately thirty to forty percent vote in off-year elections. Overall, Americans lack basic knowledge about important domestic policy issues and even less in international affairs. How many people know the first four Presidents of the United States or what the First Amendment says? More importantly, how many care?
Thomas Paine said it most effectively when he said, “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” We haven’t lived up to our part of the bargain. Our personal, community, and national priorities have been in the wrong place and sadly have been realigned by people halfway around the world. Partisan bickering and personal differences have poisoned our American spirit and have come to the forefront of our conversations. We need to realize that as different as we are- racially, ethnically, spiritually or otherwise- one thing remains the same: we are all American. Our busy lives direct our thoughts and prayers away from those things we take for granted- the beauty of our country, our freedoms, and our fellow Americans. Take a moment to stop and think about the absolutely remarkable and amazing phenomenon that is the American Democracy.
Can you remember that feeling you felt when you saw people in Texas gathering to sing “America, The Beautiful” or people in Indiana lighting candles in remembrance of those lost? Can you remember the feeling you had when you put the flag up in front of your house and saw it waving proudly? Remember those same feelings in three weeks, three months, and three years. Remember it to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Remember it to set the example for your children and grandchildren. Most importantly, remember it to never forget why we are Americans and why we deserve to be proud of our country now and forever.
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